Many top ranked commanders and leaders belonging to the...

Many top ranked commanders and leaders belonging to the M-19 were captured and the urban factions were also dispelled forcing them to the outskirts of the cities. The situation did not improve, instead it has remained the same throughout, with spells of increased violence, promises of cease-fires and peace talks, yet people are still dying and disappearing. This point reached a high when, in 1985, Eleven judges and 90 other people were killed by the M-19 guerrillas. Although the M-19 would later demobilize and become a political party. This effectively did away with the violence and crime associated with the infamous 19th of April Movement. This is the same path that the central government intends for FARC, yet FARC is unwilling to comply†¦show more content†¦They are mostly situated near the northern, west coast, east coast, and southern border regions. The Sinaloa Cartel and the Gulf Cartel are two main examples of this. They have set up and taken over trafficking cocaine produced in Colombia and exporting it to the rest of the world. However, what makes Mexico unique from Colombia is that there is an ongoing constant struggle for p ower between rival cartels. Over time one weakens, and another topples it, effectively taking over the business and becoming the next major enemy of the state. Currently, there are about 7 major cartels that include; Los Zetas, La Familia, Juarez Cartel, Tijuana Cartel, Gulf Cartel, Sinaloa Cartel, and the Knights Templar. This staggering number of Cartels all within close proximity of one another, creates an environment hostile to everyone that resides or finds themselves in these heavily contested areas. These include, but are not limited to innocent civilians, tourists, to politicians and even police officers. Certain cartels have different values, targeting specific people and willing to do certain things to express and convey a message in order to gain the attention that they crave. The Mexican government, like the Colombian government finds itself in a similar situation, unsure of how to deal with these dangerous domestic terrorist threats that have killed many with no remorse whatsoever. They don’t want to give the impression that they are incapable of dealing with the problem onShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesmechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. Many of the designations by manufacturers and seller to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in initial capsRead MoreProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 Pagesreoccurring in the future. The use of cases studies is applicable both to undergraduate and graduate level project management courses, as well as to training programs in preparation to pass the exam to become a Certified Project Management Professional ( P M P ~ administered by ) the Project Management Institute. Situations are smaller case studies and usually focus on one or two specific points that need to be addressed, whereas case studies focus on a multitude of problems. The table of contents identifies

Public Health and Impact on Society - 1034 Words

The issue of public health and its subsequent impact on society as a whole is becoming a very contentious issues for American citizens. In the midst of an election year, public health issues such as Medicare, social security, and disease prevention are all becoming more prevalent. In almost every state of politicians denounce or praise various forms of health related endeavors.. According to U.S. Public Health Service, over the last century, the average life span of an America grew by 30 years. 25 of those years are attributed to an increase in public health services. As such, decisions make by governments on the federal, state, and local level will have a profound impact on the community. One conundrum facing all Americans in particular is the heightened cost of health related expenditures coupled with a lack luster increase in tax revenue. As such, awareness and prevention are becoming very important to health. Type A and Type B personalities, and the health issues related to them are therefore very important to Americans. According to the Foundation for Better Health Care, nearly 7 million Americans suffer from CHD, which is the most common form of heart disease (CHD, 2012). As such, an understanding of what Type A and Type B personalities are and how they can potentially affect an individuals health are very important To begin, two main types of personality traits are used by many in the profession to define human behaviors and activities. For example, a Type AShow MoreRelated** Due Saturday. Upload By Noon If Finished Them.. Maya1645 Words   |  7 Pages What is the relationship between how a public health issue is framed and how efficiently a Multinational Corporation can be held accountable? 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It has been found toRead MoreHiv / Aids And Its Effects On The Population904 Words   |  4 PagesWhen it comes to health issues, there is an array of them that are responsible for individual’s death. It is a fact that the United States, as well as other countries worldwide, face different causes of death that are a product of human behavior. In this case, HIV/AIDS, which is well-known as a human immunodeficiency virus has been a major concern for society and public health due to the risk factors that contribute to the transmission of such disease, and also for â€Å" having profound social, politicalRead MorePublic Health P1. P21160 Words   |  5 PagesPublic Health - Unit 12 - Petra P1 Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals (1920, C.E.A. Winslow). This therefore infers public health is the preventing and controlling of disease within communities, to prolong life and promote health through organised society. The keys aspects of public health †¦ -Monitoring theRead MoreHealth Of Public Health Nursing Essay1386 Words   |  6 PagesPublic health nursing focus on a community that the nurse identifies the health issues facing that population and try to figure out ways to find a solution to those health problems for the community s population. Although areas in public health such as having access and cost still pose a great problem, community based care has made an impact on the contemporary practice of nursing. One of the leaders of public health nursing was Lilian D. Wald. Lilian Wald was a nurse, social reformer, and advocateRead MoreMeningitis (Cdc, 2016).The Affordable Care Act Allows Children1343 Words   |  6 Pagespeople (adults) die from vaccine-preventable diseases across the globe, an aspect that leads to economic burdens in the society (Dyda et al., 2016). Adult vaccination is a concern for policy makers as it influences the well-being of individuals and economic growth of a country. Therefore, policy makers have to make informed decisions on the issue to enhance the quality of public health as far as management of communicable diseases is concerned. Immunization rates among adults remains low, and is facedRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Ebola And Hiv / Aids Essay1363 Words   |  6 PagesFor thousands of years throughout history, humans have had to contend with the spread of infectious diseases. One of the greatest concerns in today’s society is the constant fear of a potential outbreak of an infectious disease. A disease for which society does not have a cure or vaccine available, thereby obliterating the human race if it were to spread. Notable cases include the emergence of HIV/AIDS in the 1970s and 1980s, and the more recent 2014 outbreak of Ebola in Western Africa. ExaminingRead More Speech on Smoking Essay665 Words   |  3 Pagestoday to illustrate the points against banning smoking in public places. I will be addressing the following issues 1. Whether passive smoking has a significant impact on our health 2. The Economic factor 3. The unenforceability of the act 4. How this proposition will affect society Turning to the first issue: its impact on our health. The strongest argument in favour of banning smoking in public places is that it is harmful to people who work in thatRead MoreBSHE 500 Take Home Exam 1 Essay1689 Words   |  7 Pagescons of a social ecological framework for understanding health behaviors and designing health promotion programs. Your analysis should lead to a conclusion about the framework. The social ecological framework comprises of person-focused and environment-focused interventions designed to promote health. The social ecological framework can be used as an ideal tool for addressing a broad range of public health issues and implementing new health promotion programs due to its wide scope of integratingRead MoreChildhood Obesity Is Becoming A Major Public Health Problem1367 Words   |  6 Pageswith 31 million of them living in developing countries. (WHO, 2015), and if not properly handled, could lead to serious health problems like cardiovascular disease. (Owen et al., 2009). Childhood Obesity is becoming a major public health problem and if not properly talked could lead to serious case of morbidity and in extreme cases mortality. There is a growing evidence of the impact of childhood obesity in the long run into adulthood, it could lead to long term illnesses like osteoarthritis, hypertension

Marrow of Tradition Free Essays

In Charles Chesnutt’s novel The Marrow of Tradition, there is an overall theme of racism and how it affected both whites and blacks during the Reconstruction period, particularly in the South. I am not as knowledgeable on the racism that took place during the time of the reconstruction period and found this book to be very interesting.One of my favorite characters was Josh, since he is one of the only characters that seems to act of his own free will, ignoring the attitudes and beliefs of those around him, and giving the appearance of being free from the restraints of the racial inequality that surround the African-Americans in the story. We will write a custom essay sample on Marrow of Tradition or any similar topic only for you Order Now Josh would rather die than be subservient and treated like an animal. I at first found this admirable but was later sad to read that his hatred got the best of him and it made me reflect on the different ways to be passionate about something.Since he originally had intentions on bettering himself it was disappointing to see his morals pushed aside. However, I was able to relate to him since his pain and anger was so understandable. Another character I found interesting was Dr. Miller. He had become educated and wealthy and even respected by some, however he is still treated unequally and still longs to be considered an equal among both whites and blacks. Even though Josh and Dr.Miller were both inspiring and heroic to me, the mulatto character of Janet was the most moral and determined throughout the book. She endures the shame of being outcast from the family heritage that she was entitled to, is repeatedly rejected by her white stepsister, and eventually loses her only child as a result of the savage acts of the whites. Regardless of this, she overlooks it all and acts purely on a moral level of what is the right the thing to do for humanity. She disregards the issues of race, class and gender to make the decision to send her husband Dr.Miller to save the life of Olivia’s child. I found this surprising since I don’t believe I could have made the choices that she did all of the problems she faces, however I think that Chesnutt was trying to sway this audience towards a more positive outlook on mulattos. All in all this book lead me to believe that no matter how hard you try, due to the concept of white supremacy if you are a person of the wrong race you must forever be submissive to the white man’s needs.Because of this story, the most influential thing that I have learned about living in the post-reconstruction South is: be careful who your friends are, and also because of who they are, knowing them might get you lynched (In regards to Sandy Campbell being accused of the robber y and murder of Mrs. Polly Ochiltree). Bringing me to conclusively decide that the events of the post-reconstruction era served as a foundation for the serious crimes against the Black community, in contemporary times. How to cite Marrow of Tradition, Papers

Issues and Recommendation for Human Resource Planning

Question: Discuss about the Issues and Recommendation for Human Resource Planning. Answer: Poor Balance between Employee Satisfaction In any kind of organization it is important that the employees working in it should have satisfaction in working for the organization. This helps the organization to achieve its objectives and goals efficiently. As the Director of the HR department of the organization I believe that it cannot be said that all the employees are satisfied in the work environment. Thus, the employees should be treated with respect irrespective of what profile they are working in, be it blue collar or white collar job profiles (Chaneta, 2014). Steps are to be taken for the employees to be empowered by allowing the employees the freedom of speech, offering compensation and benefits above the average scale. These provide the employees with the motivation and positive attitude to achieve the objectives and goals of the organizations. Thus, it is very important to maintain a balance between employee satisfaction and achieving of goals of the organization. High Staff Turnover Issue The concept of ideal worker in the organization has been jeopardizing the workforce from the basic level. Being the Director of HR of this organization, the domination of the workforce was not ignored by me. The average age of working women was also very low. This has led to an obstinate concept of a male of the family being an ideal worker (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe Jackson, 2012). This concept can be altered and replaced by spreading the concept of any person irrespective of the gender being the ideal worker and same amount of focus should be given to the entire employee. More number of female workers should be hired for both the blue and white collar job profiles in the organization. Awareness among the blue collar employees should be spread regarding the issue. Too Little Training and Poor Career Options Little or poor training for the staff of the organization has been resulting in poor work outcome. The conduction of orientation and induction programs for the new employees of all levels has to be implemented. Regular meetings and training sessions should be conducted for the employees who have already been working in the organization (Storey, 2007). There should be openings for different job opportunities in the organization regarding different work aspects which would enhance the effectiveness of the management in the organization. Issues and Recommendation for Discrimination Woman feel discriminated when returning to lower level jobs after maternity leave It has also been observed that the women workers of the blue collar job profile in the organization feel discrimination as there is a most of the workers (80%) and employees are males. If there will be more number of male worker and working environment is not good the female might feel discriminate when they joined after maternity leave. The company needs to make working environment good for those which return after maternity leave (Garca-Moreno et al., 2015). Too Little Support for Pregnant Woman New set of policies are to be define by the organization for the pregnant women. They should be entitled for maternity leave according to the health conditions. The pregnant women should also be entitled to a leaves if the health conditions demand. The organization need to assign a team of medical professional assistance in the organization for the overall health of the employees of any level (Fox Quinn, 2015). The pregnant women, especially belonging to the blue collar job profile should be given medical assistance allowances during post pregnancy by the organization. Low Support for Work-Life Balance The poor work-life balance of the employees and workers in the organization should be corrected by making the employees to communicate and share their issues, scheduling proper working hours allowing adequate non-work life to the employees. The employees should also be provided with adequate number of par leaves in the organization so as to provide them with opportunities and time to spend their personal time. The employees should be made to set their priorities in both the work environment as well as their personal life (Ware, 2015). The organization needs to make the employees set specific measurable objectives and goals so as to maintain effective work and personal life resulting in a balanced work-life. References Chaneta, I., 2014. Human resource planning. International Journal of Management, IT and Engineering, 4(2), p.333. Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R. and Jackson, P.R., 2012. Management research. Sage. Fox, A.B. and Quinn, D.M., 2015. Pregnant Women at Work The Role of Stigma in Predicting Womens Intended Exit From the Workforce. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 39(2), pp.226-242. Garca-Moreno, C., Zimmerman, C., Morris-Gehring, A., Heise, L., Amin, A., Abrahams, N., Montoya, O., Bhate-Deosthali, P., Kilonzo, N. and Watts, C., 2015. Addressing violence against women: a call to action. The Lancet, 385(9978), pp.1685-1695. Storey, J., 2007. Human resource management: A critical text. Cengage Learning EMEA. Ware, V., 2015. Beyond the pale: White women, racism, and history. Verso Books.

For My Paper I Am Going To Be Writing On Something Other Than A Video

For my paper I am going to be writing on something other than a Video Exhibition, since I couldn't find one. However, I was able to undertake something which I found very appealing, a tour of NBC studios in New York City. The father of my friend's girlfriend gave the tour to a few friends and myself. Since he knew all of us, he decided to give us a private tour. When we first entered the building, I was amazed by the sense of centricity that came over me; it felt as if I was in the center of the television universe. The tour began with our guide, Mr. Kanuk, who is an executive producer at NBC, getting us past the many guards who watch the entrance to the main building. After this initial entry, we delved into a few of the editing rooms at NBC. I was at first taken aback by the many different terminals and editing bays that were in only one room. There were also separate audio production facilities in each editing room. We were shown the few linear and non-linear terminals which people were using to edit their equipment. The next part in our tour was taking a look at the live television studios used in NBC. We first were allowed to go into the studio where the Rosie Odonell show in taped. It was actually very small as compared to what it looks like on TV. The studio was very clean and organized, and Rosie Odenell's coffee mug (which only contains water) was sparkling clean. Mr. Kanuk then pointed out to us the Robotic Cameras that are primarily used to tape the show. These cameras were in 90% of the live studios we visited. The cameras, according to Mr. Kanuk, are completely automated, eliminating the need for the cameraman. They run on state of the art motion detection and can of course be remotely programmed. The cameras make running the show twice as easy, according to Kanuk. For our next part of the tour we went to the studio where Saturday Night Live is recorded. This studio also seemed small as compared to on television. The thing I instantly noticed in this studio was the lighting rigs on the ceiling. They completely encompassed the entire studio. Everywhere you could think to look, the lighting rigs were superimposed. It was a truly masterfully engineered studio. The next part of our tour led us to the Conan Obrian Show. We entered the studio and witnessed Conan practicing some lines. It was now only 3:00p.m. and they were getting ready to record. When we arrived they were in the process of rehearsal so we had to watch in the outer control room. This was very interesting since we were able to view the inside of the live control room. There were about 3 people inside the control room, all wearing headsets and communicating with personnel outside of the studio. The organization levels here were outstanding. When one member of the crew was told to do something, it was done before the words left the control persons mouth. The inside of the room consisted of an elaborate system of banks and bus', which left me feeling very confused. It contained a great deal of monitors and nice computers. A few of which I assumed were for graphics, due to the fact that one person was drawing on one. When we were browsing a few more of the studios at NBC I asked Mr. Kanuk about the analog setup which I was viewing in many of the rooms. He told me that NBC was now almost half digital and half analog and that they were in the process of converting to all digital. Once they are all digital they will begin to broadcast all of their programs in HDTV. He told me that it was a very time consuming process due to the expensive and delicate nature of the task. They had been converting for almost two years already. The next and last part of the tour led us to a hall which contained paintings and photos of the many historic people to have worked at NBC. I browsed these

Tam Narrative Essay Essays

Tam Narrative Essay Essays Tam Narrative Essay Essay Tam Narrative Essay Essay There are a few of those special days which remain evergreen in my heart and that I can remember of. Some events have changed me for better and made me stronger, while others are just there to remember and smile because they have happened at one point in my life. The fact of me coming to America for the first time is such an event. It was the month of April, 2009. Was only twelve years old and didnt really want to come to America, yet had to because my dad was already here. I felt very sad but happy at the same time. I could already imagine how hard things were going to be for me until would finally adapt to the new environment. I was happy because I hadnt seen my dad for a long time and I had missed him a lot. My first year of school in America was the hardest time of my life. Din it know very well English and couldnt express myself by communicating tit others. There were only a few students that were the same nationality as me, yet I wasnt very talkative therefore couldnt make any new friends. Many things and the diversity of the people in America were very interesting yet very strange for me, therefore looked at people and to the things around me in a way that they thought was weird or had staring problems. One time one of my classmates came up to me and asked me in a mean way about why I kept on staring at the students that were in my class including herself. I couldnt really understand what she was saying, but someone else translated it for me. They all thought was racist and had something against other races. After that day, they all started staring at me and making fun of me because I would t talk much and was by myself for most of the time. Finally, time passed and things started to become better for me. Started to speak and understand English better and already had made a few friends. By the time overcame the obstacles that were given to me it was already the mime to graduate my middle school and move on to high school. All these hard times have changed me and made me stronger as a person. As of today, many years have passed and Im already a college student. Thank my parents for always supporting me through everything.

Values and Ethics in a Global Setting in IT Essay

Values and Ethics in a Global Setting in IT - Essay Example Every individual has a set of beliefs and philosophies in mind that carry meaning and significance. Whether he or she consciously believes in those beliefs and philosophies or not, is not important. They can be in the subconscious mind, and the person does not have to think hard before reflecting them in his actions. These values are known as personal values and can include principles of punctuality, hard work, trust, and harmony. Steve Job’s belief of â€Å"Think different† has reflected in Apple’s success of coming up with innovative and creative technology that has earned them their brand recognition (Labrosse, 2010).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Personal values are relatively easier to tailor to a global setting. Most of the personal values, such as justice, trust and love, are prevalent in most of the communities around the world. What individuals need to do is find a point of intersection between the personal values and global values and build upon that. One can observe the online social communities, such as facebook and orkut, to see how they reflect personal values in a global arrangement. Individuals from all over the world use these mediums to interact with each other and socialize using harmony and trust with each other and are seen to give respect to others throughout the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are, however, differences found in personal values also.

Take Ways from Leadership Skills Speech or Presentation

Take Ways from Leadership Skills - Speech or Presentation Example A concluding portion would highlight relevant concepts and lessons learned from the essay. Take ways from Leadership Skills Leadership is an important component in the existence, survival and functioning of any group or organization. Many organizations have been aware of the fact that their success is greatly dependent upon the quality and effectiveness of this dimension. As an organization grows in size and complexity, the requirements for an efficient and effective leadership multiply. In this regard, the essay aims to define leadership using one’s own words and to indicate what components or elements are involved in leadership. Further, the discourse would describe the different leadership theories in simple words. In conjunction with the discussion of the leadership theories, one would present a theoretical application in one’s workplace (convenience store) through the provision of an example. Finally, one’s personal view on the best leadership skills and a d escription of the follower's role in leadership process would be proffered. A concluding portion would highlight relevant concepts and lessons learned from the essay. Definition of Leadership The term ‘leadership’ has received various definitions and explanations depending on the perceptions, experiences and understandings of those who discuss it. One’s personal definition of leadership sees it as an act or behavior manifested by a person possessing qualities and traits that enable that person to influence others into achieving a well defined goal. At the simplest, leadership have three key elements: leader, followers and the situation (Martires & Fule, 2004). To determine what leadership involves, one must take into consideration various points of views. From the view point of the leader, there are skills and traits that are commonly manifested and exemplified by leaders. According to Martires & Fule (2004), leadership is at once personal, interpersonal, and sit uational. But it can be viewed from one perspective at a time. At the personal level, traits and skills are highlighted. At the interpersonal level, style comes to the fore. Finally, at the situational level, the contingent nature of leadership manifests itself. Murray Ross and Charles Hendry drew a personality profile of effective leaders from many tests conducted to identify leadership traits. In general, they found that effective leaders have attibutes as follows: (1) self-confident, well-integrated, and emotionally stable; (2) warm, sensitive, and sympathetic toward other people and give practical, helpful suggestions; (3) intelligent in relation to the gorup members; (4) identify with the goals and values of the groups they lead; (5) want to take leadership responsibility and are competent in handling new situations; (6) can be relied on to perform leadership functions consistently; and (7) in elected or public positions, usually possess more enthusiasm and capacity for express ion than other types of leaders (Ross & Hendry, 1957). On the other hand, various skills are exhibited by leaders as essentially described by Henry Mitzberg, to wit: (1) skills of introspection; (2) entrepreneurial skills; (3) conflict-resolution skills; (4) peer skills; (5) information-processing skills; (6) skills in unstructured decision-making; and (7) resourse generation and allocation skills (Mitzberg, 1973). Leadership Theories There are diverse leadership theories that evolved through the years

COMMERCIAL LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

COMMERCIAL LAW - Essay Example According to sections 171 and 192 of the Sale of Goods Act, 1979, Daniel can claim the identifiable part because it is unsold and is not mixed with any other goods. In Clough Mill v Martin3, the seller had retained the title to the goods and when the buyer became insolvent before paying for the goods, the goods were identifiable. It was held that the seller had the title to the goods and he was also entitled to damages. Therefore, Duncan can claim this part of copper wires because he retains the title to them and this part does not form the assets of Craftit Ltd and would not be appropriated in settlement of its claims. Larry, the liquidator, would not be able to withhold possession of them. The part that has been wound into coils around cardboard spools is not identifiable because it now forms a part of a finished or a semi-finished good. Duncan’s title in respect of this part of copper wires is lost. In Borden (UK) Ltd v Scottish Timber Products Ltd4 and Re Peachdart Ltd5, the buyer had used the resin that he had bought as an ingredient in the manufacture of chipboard. He became insolvent before payment. It was held that the seller had lost the title to the resin as it was mixed with other goods. The wound copper wires cannot be returned to their original form. It may be argued that the parties to the contract had agreed on the terms that the title was to be retained by the seller even if the goods were processed. This term poses a problem in reality. If the supplier of cardboard spools also had supplied them on the retention of title clause, it would be quite a conundrum. Therefore, the courts might apply Re: Bond Worth Ltd6 hence allowing property in the good s to pass to Craftit Ltd and resulting in a charge being granted back to Duncan. However, the courts would first make certain whether such a charge is allowed to exist.

Aldehyde, Ketone Tests and Preparation of Derivatives

Aldehyde, Ketone Tests and Preparation of Derivatives Results: I. Aldehyde and ketone testes and preparation of derivatives 2,4 DINIROPHENYL HYDRAZINE Observations 2-butanone Solid orange precipitate at bottom Benzaldehyde mp of derivative:217-220 °C dark yellow precipitate forms. BISULFITE ADDITION TEST Acetophenone Cloudy ,off-white solution (no reaction) 2-butanone Clear solution and no colour change(no reaction) Benzaldehyde White precipitation forming after few minutes from clear solution. It appears like white solid crystals. Trans-cinnamaldehyde Thick white yellow particles floating (precipitate) on top and clear solution at bottom. IODOFORM TEST Acetophenone Solution turned to yellow, yellow precipitate form n-butyraldehyde Forms 2 layers: top layer creamy and bottom layer lime yellow(no reaction) 2,4-pentanedione 3 layers: top layer lime yellow, middle layer foggy and bottom layer orange-yellow precipitate. OXIDATION OF ALDENHYDES 2-butanone Orange red colour precipitate turns to green after long time. Takes long time to react. n-butyraldehyde Bottom greenish brown colour precipitate and top layer brown. Precipitate after 1 minute Benzaldehyde Dark greenish brown precipitate and liquid is greenish colour forms immediately after adding CrO3. II. Alcohol tests and preparation of derivatives SODIUM TEST Observations 1-butanol Litmus test pH of 9-10 is observed forms dark blue colour. Bubbles forms after adding sodium in solution. 2 layers are seen which are clear after adding ether. LUCAS TEST 1-butanol 2 layers: top layer light orange and bottom layer clear solution 2-pentanol (sec-amyl alcohol) 2 layers: top layer light clear and bottom is off-white. Observed after 3 minute. 1-propanol Clear solution. Observed after 2 minutes. t-butyl alcohol(2-methyl-2-propanol) Reaction occurs as soon as reagent is added.3 layers: top clear, middle layer off-white and bottom off-white. Observed in 2 seconds. URETHANE DERIVATIVE 1-heptanol Mp: 25-30  °C white crystals forms after cooling, white precipitate III. Solubility tests Solubility In Water Solubility in Cyclohexane methanol Soluble Insoluble Ethanol Soluble Soluble Diethyl ether Insoluble Soluble Cyclohexanol Insoluble Soluble Acetone Soluble Soluble 2-butanone (ethyl-methyl ketone) Insoluble Soluble Cyclohexanone Insoluble Soluble Introduction: Identifying and classifying of the unknown molecules is significant part of organic chemistry. The purpose of this lab is to identify functional groups which are present in alcohol, ether, aldehyde and ketone. This lab helps in gaining knowledge about chemical and physical properties of all this four structures. Distinguish them using function group and solubility tests. In this experiment several test such as physical properties including melting point and index of refraction with literature values to compare. Furthermore, identification can be acquired by crystalline derivative and comparing its derivative melting point with original to find the original carbonyl functional group present. Lucas test is used for determining if alcohol is primary, secondary or tertiary. This depends on the substitution reactions in the presence of acid but, the rate at which it reacts depends on the structure of alcohol. Aldehyde and ketone reacts with 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine to form yellow-orang e precipitate but, does not react with alcohol. In addition, iodoform test use to recognize methyl ketone by forming precipitation. In this experiment it is necessary to give all attention to what reaction is being form so that accurate results can be obtained. Discussion: 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine reagent helps to identify carbonyl groups associated with ketone and aldehyde. When this reagent is added solid yellow-orange precipitate is observed in benzaldehyde and 2-butanone which indicated positive test. Derivatives of this can also, be use to identify the compound. In the experiment benzaldehyde melting point is 217-220 °C but, original is 237  °C which is close enough (Caroly and David(1999)). This can be due to error caused by taking too much of benzaldehyde to measure its melting point or some impurities in crystals. This test is also called bradys test. + 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine à   2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazone (precipitate) + 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine à   2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazone (precipitate) benzaldehyde Nitrogen gets attach to carbonyl group after reagent is added therefore, dehydration in reaction results. 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine does not react with alcohol therefore, it is good reagent for carbonyl group. Sodium bisulfite addition test is only positive with aldehydes and methyl ketones. This reaction does not occur with stearically hindered ketones but, it is best indication for aldehyde. In this experiment no reaction occurred in acetophenone and 2-butonone when bisulfite is added to it. This test is positive when white precipitate is formed which is observed when it is added in benzaldehyde and trans-cinnamaldehyde. + NaHSO3 (sodium bisulfite) à   white precipitate Benzaldehyde Iodoform test is use to distinguish ketones from methyl ketones, when the test is positive it forms iodoform as yellow precipitate. Acetaldehyde and alcohols with hydroxyl group at its second place can also give positive and alcohol can oxidize to methyl ketone with iodoform reaction as I2 is oxidizing agent. It is observed that acetophenone and 2,4-pentanedione both reacts as it form yellow precipitate whereas, n-butyraldehyde did not. As, n-butyraldehyde did not contain methyl group it did not react. On the other hand, acetophenone and 2, 4-pentanedione contains methyl group which helps replace a hydrogen atom next to carbonyl group with iodine further, cleaves the iodinated compound to iodoform and carboxylic acid (yellow precipitation).This classifies them as methyl ketones. NaOH and I2 -à   + iodoform 2, 4-pentanedione Oxidation of aldehyde both n-butyraldehyde and benzaldehyde reacts and gives greenish precipitation when reacts with chromic reagent. Therefore, positive sign is it gives greenish bluish precipitate which represents that oxidation or reduction has occurred. Aldehydes are oxidized easily due to chromic acid and forms carboxylic acid whereas, ketones. Chromate reagent replaces hydrogen atom and adds oxygen resulting carboxylic acid.2- butanone is not able to react because it is ketone and it lacks hydrogen atom next to carbonyl group. C3H7CHO(n-butyraldehyde ) + CrO3(chromic acid) à   n-butyric acid (benzaldehyde) + CrO3 (chromic acid)à   Benzoic acid When sodium is reacted with 1-butanol hydrogen gas is release because alcohols are weakly acidic so went they react with alkali metal gas is produce. So, when tested with litmus paper solution found to be basic. (l) +Na(s) à   CH3(CH2)3ONa(l) + H-H(g) In lucas test t-butyl alcohol reacted immediately with lucas reagent (HCl and ZnCl2) because it is tertiary alcohol. It forms stable carbocation and forms chlorinated alkane after attracting negative chlorine. Positive test indicates when turbidity due to formation of insoluble alkyl chloride is mark.1- propanol and 1- butanol does not react with lucas reagent but, 2-pentanol reacts very slowly and reaction is observed after long time. So, lucas test helps determine rate and which is tertiary or secondary alcohol. (CH3)3C-OH + ZnCl2/HCl à   H2O + (CH3)3C-Cl Urethane derivative reacts with 1-heptanol which results in phenyl urethane as white precipitate. Phenyl isocynate reacts with alcohol. + à   N-phenyl urethane derivative Melting point of this is 25-30  °C but original is 60 °C (Caroly and David(1999)) there is a lot of difference; this can be due to error performed during experiment. Solubility test concludes that alcohol with less than six carbons are soluble in water, rest of them due to increasing number of carbon it is insoluble in water. In this experiment almost all results were equivalent to expect results. Questions: 1) a. Certain are like hydroquinone, whose tautomer is ketone and it is oxidizable. Uncertain is if there are other things attach to this molecules may be these tests were not able to detect it example cyano or nitro groups. b. Catechol c. IR will identify all other functional groups which were unable to detect by qualitative tests. NMR will give information about isomers example between hydroquinone and catechol. 2) Chromic acid forms a chromate ester that will decompose to carnonyl compound and chromium in a lower oxidation state. C4H9CH(CH3)OH + HO- -> C4H9CH(CH3)O- + H2O C4H9CH(CH3)O- + I-I -> C4H9CH(CH3)OI + I- C4H9CH(CH3)OI + HO- -> C4H9C(CH3)=O + I- + H2O Reference: Carolyn Oconnell and David Dollimore.1999.Determination of melting point using derivative. Instrumentation science and technology. Volume 27 Issue 1. pp.13-21 Experiment 7 Identifying and classifying organic functional groups: alcohols, ethers, aldehyde and ketones

The USSR’s Ill Fated Military Intervention in Afghanistan Essay

The USSR’s Ill Fated Military Intervention in Afghanistan In the Fall of1994 the Bulletin of the The Cold War International History Project mentions in an article, †Despite the declassification of numerous high-level Soviet documents the precise reasons behind the USSR’s massive, ill fated military intervention in Afghanistan in December 1979 remain murky†. Reading these documents it becomes obvious that intervention was the result of a long and sometimes bitter struggle within the politburo mostly in Chernenko’s handwriting. Six days earlier, the Politburo had approved sending a 500 man â€Å"Spetnaz†(military intelligence special unit) force to Afghanistan and now the Politburo subgroup of Andropov, Ustinov, and Gromyko, (Ponomarev was absent) together with Chernenko, obtained Breshshenev’s sighed consent to implement the agreed-upon measures leading to the deployment of 50-75,000 Soviet troops in Afghanistan later that month, and using the (Spetnaz) force mentioned above to the killing of Amin and his replacement by Karmel as Afghan leader and head of PDPA,† The Soviet Documents do contain a number of complaints while failing to say, â€Å"this is the last straw, let’s invade.† One of the first of these is the Poliburo’s nervousness at the increasing conservative Islamic activity in the country coupled with activity in Iran whom they suspected of sending missionaries to Afghanistan dressed as natives. They also find the PDPA guilty of ‘draconian’ measures and miscalculations and mistakes.’ One of the first signs of major trouble on the horizon was a revolt in Herat in which many of the government troops joined with the rebels. Afghanistan (Taraki) asked for help to squash the situation but this help was denied. Seven months late... ...inister, and president of the Revolutionary Council, and secretary general of the PDPA. Opposition to Karmal and the Soviets, as you can see from Afghani history too much Afghani blood had been shed for its citizens to even consider a ruler from outside. By early 1980 the mujahideen had united inside Afghanistan and were resisting Soviet invaders or Soviet backed Afghani forces. In January 1987 a six month cease fire was declared by the Soviets. It was largely ignored by the Afghani. By 1986 the Afghani fighters had begun receiving shoulder fired ground-to-air missiles. These were capable of easily bringing down helicopter gunships and jet bombers. This is what brought the Soviets to the table. Peace accords largely in Afghani favor were signed in 1988. The last Soviet soldier left on Feb 15, 1989. The war, however, continued, now between the Afghani and themselves.

Developing a Motivational Plan Essay

A motivation plan for any school is extremely important for the success of any educational program. Students who are not motivated will not learn and in turn won’t succeed. Many components should be included in a motivational plan so that all the needs of students are met and each student has goals that are attainable and can be reached. According to Hersey (2008), â€Å"Goals should be set high enough that a person has to stretch to reach them but low enough that they can be attained.† Goal setting, rewards, both tangible and non-tangible, and a sense of belonging are motivational components that should be included in a motivational plan. The first part of a motivational plan that I would feel essential for my school would be goal setting. At the current school that I work at, I feel like this is a missing part of our motivational plan and it greatly affects our students. Without goals, the students don’t know what they are working towards, this creates confusion and a detachment from the meaning of education. Although some students may set personal goals, I feel like it’s important for there to be group goals so that the students can work together to achieve them and be more motivated. Goals should be set high, but not so high that students can’t achieve them. Goals that are too high would do the opposite of motivate, it would create despair and students would give up eventually because they would know that their effort is not worthwhile. Setting goals that are attainable will motivate students and will give students the confidence that they need to continue their efforts in reaching additional goals. If students know that they can reach a goal, something that is attainable and reachable, they’ll be more motivated to try so that they can have that feeling of accomplishment. Another important aspect of goal setting is that the goals are changed and updated frequently so that students constantly have something to work for. Once a student achieves a particular goal, the motivation will be gone unless they have something else to work towards, something else to motivate them. Hersey (2008) also supports this idea by stating, â€Å"Once the child becomes proficient in attaining a particular goal, it becomes appropriate for the parent to provide an opportunity for the child to identify and set new goals.† So, it’s my plan to work with the students to create attainable goals frequently so that students have constant motivation and something that they can always work towards. I believe that goal setting is a major component of any motivation plan and this will be the main focus behind mine. I feel that it’s extremely important that students have goals and something to work towards, otherwise there will be no motivation behind their actions. The second component of my motivation plan will be tangible and intangible rewards. Students will work towards something and be more motivated if they receive something in return. This is similar to why anyone get a job. They work hard and complete actions in order to receive the tangible reward of money and the intangible reward of accomplishment. Students are going to be more motivated and work harder if they will get something in return for their hard work, whether it’s intangible like a feeling, or tangible, like good grades or rewards. â€Å"It is no surprise, then, that to improve academic achievement of middle school students, successful programs incorporate the social contexts for both intrinsic motivation and internalized extrinsic motivation† (Wilson & Corpus, 2001). Although studies have shown that extrinsic rewards are only beneficial short term and can be detrimental in long term situations, (Corpus &Wilson, 2001), I believe that every now and then a tangible reward is needed and can result is a positive outcome and increased motivation. An example of this is a current motivational strategy that we use at my current school regarding awards for good grades, citizenship, and good attendance. Students get awards every semester for achieving milestones in these categories and I believe that it does increase student motivation. If a student is close to the end of the semester and has a B+ in one class, they will are motivated to raise that one grade in order to get the highest award presented to them in front of their parents, teachers, and students, since we do the award ceremony during the school day. I have personally seen the motivation that is created by these awards and I plan to include this in my motivational plan as well. Intangible awards can also be very successful in creating motivation and are more beneficial long term although short term effects may not be as common as with the tangible rewards. Students respond to intrinsic rewards like praise, self assurance, and accomplishment. â€Å"There are, however, many intangible rewards, such as praise or power, that are just as important and effective for use as incentives when endeavoring to evoke a particular behavior† (Hersey, 2008). To incorporate this into my plan I would like to see more praise for good behavior, as well as giving students more choices in the classroom. By giving students choices, they will feel more empowered by their choice and feel more accomplished when they achieve it, resulting in increase motivation. Finally, I would like to see a good sense of community and belonging in my school community. According to Glasser (1985), the five basic needs common to all people are the need for belonging, power, fun, freedom, and survival. With a sense of belonging, students will have more ownership over their behavior and will be more motivated to succeed. It’s been my experience that students that are out-casts aren’t motivated to succeed because they have no reason to, no one to share their success with. The opposite would happen if students feel like they belong and have someone to share their motivation and success with. Overall, more than one component is important to any successful motivational plan. My plan will focus on goal setting, rewards, and a sense of belonging or community within my school. With these factors I hope that my students will be motivated to learn and become better students and people. It’s my belief that although many factor are essential to a motivation plan, it’s crucial that goals are set so that students have something to work towards. Without a goal to work towards, students won’t feel like they have a reason to be motivated. These are the components that will be included in my motivational plan for my future school.

Neutrality in psychoanalysis Essays

Neutrality in psychoanalysis Essays Neutrality in psychoanalysis Essay Neutrality in psychoanalysis Essay Batman. When read, the image of a superhero with a profound power devoted to helping others comes to mind. Defined by the Complete Scoundrel sourcebook (McArtor Schneider, 2007) as a neutral good character, Batman adheres to a personal code, in which he is unbiased in doing good, while remaining unindebted to those he helps. This personal code was devised to maintain a greater good in society by providing a set of guiding principles that aid in making moral decisions and is followed when fighting crime. Psychoanalysts draw many parallels with Batman. Psychoanalysts are also devoted to helping others and follow a set of principles when in practice. An essential part of the psychoanalytic code is neutrality. According to Meissner (1998) neutrality has been long honored as an essential component of the [psycho]analytic situation and process (p. 1089). The concept of neutrality has recently been the basis of highly controversial debate. Emphasis has been placed on the interactions of the analyst, in particular the use of self-disclosures. Analysts have examined the outcomes of neutrality and self-disclosure in the analytical process. These authors have purported mixed stances. Some analysts have advocated neutrality. Others have endorsed self-disclosure (e. g. , Mills, 2005; Shill, 2004; Meissner, 1998). It will be argued that, similarly to Batman, it is advantageous to adhere to guiding principles, and therefore maintain neutrality as an analyst. Primarily, Freud felt strongly about psychoanalysis as a science and attempted to establish its analytical objectivity. In his paper (1912), Freud utilized the metaphor of a surgeon, who set aside all feelings and beliefs to retain uninterrupted concentration, in order to convey that the analyst should be someone who rearticulates and annotates the patients comments while remaining non-pejorative. Added to this metaphor, Freud explained the concept of a mirror, which has since become synonymous with neutrality and abstinence . In contrast, Ferenczi attempted to promote psychoanalysis on a more interpersonal and interactive level. In consultations with patients, Ferenczi expressed an empathetic attunement and warmth to the patient, sharing feelings, thoughts and observations that were not only related to the therapy, but also his personal life (Meissner, 1998). This synergism between patient and therapist, wherein Ferenczi disclosed to patients, was a direct challenge to the principles of neutrality, consequently resulting in the main theoretical impetus for the movement towards a more interactive analytical process. The Freud-Ferenczi, neutral-interpersonal, debate has continued throughout the history of analytic treatment. The patients autonomy, guidance towards the analytic process, and the influence on interventions are aspects of the analytic process which have been scrutinized. According to Greenberg (1986), neutralism maximizes the patients autonomy in the analytical process. As the patient engages in giving an account of the illness or condition, a detailed inquest is recorded by the therapist. The patients role is organized by the prerequisite of the freedom to express and this is counterbalanced with the analysts prerequisite, which is structured to sanction, listening and understanding (Mills, 2005). There is a synergic effect from roles of both the patients and analysts, and this establishes a vehicle for destabilizing the neurotic equilibrium. On the other hand, the analyst can participate more in the analytic process by self-disclosing.   Argued that interactions, such as self-disclosure, are two-fold. Firstly, the patient participates less and important areas of the account may be obscured. Secondly, without open expression and interaction from the analyst, the patient may feel inhibited to further explore personal affects. However, this prompting may be problematic. The patient may be more likely conform to, rather than challenge, the ideas of the analyst and consequently providing a false account (Shill, 2004). Analytical neutrality can overcome this fault. As a result of maximum concentration, the analyst can easily identify the areas that require attention when conducting the analysis. The analyst can probe these areas by asking carefully devised questions in order to o pen dialogue allowing for greater self-examination by the patient. In light of this solution, analytic neutrality is advantageous to self-disclosure techniques as neutrality can empower [the patient], rather than encourag[e] a dependency on analyst as problem solver (McIlwain, 2007). Likewise, the code of Batman not only maximizes his autonomy in fighting crime, it also provides a medium in which he can control and channel his attention towards doing good. Just as Batmans code offers guidance in how to handle foes, neutrality is also acts guiding ideal that is formed and informs all of the analysts actions and attitudes in the analytic process (McWilliams, 2003). Contrast to the rigid constraint on human responsiveness as depicted by Meissner (1998), the neutral analytic structure establishes a vital contribution to the integrity and nature of the methodological process. Freud noted the analytic process is defined by transference, which involves a distortion of reality. Neutrality and abstinence permits the transference to unfold relatively uninfluenced by direction from the analyst. This provides the analysis with the internal freedom required to observe the patients distortions in reality. Alternatively, self-disclosures offer an external means to the analyst in probing transference. Whereas neutrality guides the analyst in conducting the analytic process, the interpersonal approach lacks an analogous reference point. This attenuates the analytic process as the interactions and disclosures of the therapist remain unguided. In order to establish the use of self-disclosures as an alternative analytical technique, it is necessary to delineate a protocol in which to match various analytic circumstances to appropriate self-disclosures, albeit a non verbatim procedure (Roberts, 1997). Therefore, neutrality as a principle plays a significant role in guiding the therapist in the analytical process and is advantageous to interpersonal techniques such as self-disclosures. However, according to critics it is impossible to observe neutrality in an analytical relationship. Shill (2004) regards analytic neutralism as ill-conceived as the implicated subjectivity is irreducible and the analyst is provided with unwarranted authority. Similarly, academics (e. g. Mills, 2005) which support interpersonal approaches with patients argue that, even in a neutral context, the analyst inevitably has expectations for the patient that can influence the intervention (McWilliams, 2003). In an attempt to provide a solution to this challenge, one can propose that neutrality may serve as the foundations upon which the analyst can gain a deeper understanding of their personal expectations and how these may impact upon the intervention. Rosenfarb (2010) suggested that whilst probing a patient , neutrality may allow for the identification of areas that require attention when formulating the intervention. This can be juxtaposed to the subjective intrusions that occur with self-disclosing techniques. Not only do self-disclosing techniques interfere with how the patient is examined, they can also result in the denial of appropriate interventions (Shill, 2004). The inevitable expectations that psychoanalysts usually have for their patients may have a significant influence on intervention. However, the use of neutrality may be essential when devising appropriate interventions for the patient. Another criticism is that the analytical neutrality tends to disengage the patient from the analyst (Meissner, 1998). Some critics suggest that although neutrality remains equidistant from the requirements of the drives, ego, and superego, it does not preclude the existence of the intent of the therapy (Greenberg, 1986). Alternatively, proponents of neutrality assert that although neutrality may be passive in nature, there is still involvement between patient and analyst (Mills, 2007). One can suggest that as the participant-observer relationship exists, in the essence that the analyst inevitably interacts with the patient, neutrality precludes disengagement the patient. In conclusion, the patients autonomy, guidance towards the analytic process, and the influence on interventions are aspects of the analytic process in which neutrality is advantageous to self-disclosing techniques. Through thorough evaluation it is evident that, similarly to Batmans personal code which acts as a guiding force in his assignment to fighting crime, neutrality functions to guide the analysts in the analytic process. With adherence to a code which is intended to non-pejoratively help others, one can conclude that psychoanalysts are Batman.

Identifying The Experience Of Child Protection Issues Social Work Essay Essays

Identifying The Experience Of Child Protection Issues Social Work Essay Essays Identifying The Experience Of Child Protection Issues Social Work Essay Essay Identifying The Experience Of Child Protection Issues Social Work Essay Essay who were removed from their households for assorted grounds, were denied the basic right of all kids to have protection, support and loving attention ( FAHCSIA ) . Today, the Australian Government is committed to larning from its history and bettering the quality of life experience by our kids and immature people. The Australian Government and the non-government sector recognize that households are the cardinal system that supports and nurtures our kids and immature people. There is a national committedness to supply child-centred, family-focused responses as the most effectual manner to assist kids and immature people who are disadvantaged, neglected or abused, or at hazard of going so in ulterior life. 2.1 The Issue As of June 2010, there were 24, 279 kids populating in Out of Home Care. Of these, 11, 468 of these kids were of Indigenous or Torres Strait Islander decent, doing them 9 times more likely to be in Out of Home Care so non-Indigenous kids ( 44.8 in every thousand compared with 4.9 in every 1000 ) 0 ( FAHCSIA ) . Harmonizing to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Indigenous Australian kids are 8 times more likely than non-Indigenous kids to hold been involved with Child Protection services and experience remotion orders. The arrangement of kids in Out of Home Care is widely recognised as the most terrible signifier of kid public assistance intercessions. Autochthonal kids are non merely more likely to be placed in Out of Home Care, but to come in attention at a younger age and to stay in attention longer than other kids. ( SNAIIC ) Disregard is the most common ground for Indigenous kids to be removed from their households, with 37.5 % of Autochthonal kids in the system is due to pretermit ( Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2010 ) . 2.2. Children in Care In the yesteryear when Autochthonal kids were removed from their households they were by and large placed with Non-Indigenous carers or insitutions. These kids were cut off from their households and were forced to absorb into non-Indigenous Australian civilization. This has had an improbably detrimental consequence on the development of the Indigenous kids involved and their households, doing what is by and large known as the Stolen Generation . When Autochthonal kids are placed in the attention of non-indigenous people, despite the good purposes and positive environment of the Care-givers, the Indigenous kids doubtless suffer in their cultural development and individuality, which can do reunion hard, if non impossible, due to relational and individuality issues it causes between the kid and their birth household ( and community ) . Unfortunately, small to no research has been done on the effects of Autochthonal kids in Out of Home attention. The SNAICC have put forward recommendations that comparings and ratings be done on the assorted experience of Autochthonal kids in Out of Home Care ( 2011 ) . The Policy In an effort to diminish the injury that Autochthonal kids and their households experience when the kids are placed in Out of Home Care, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle ( Australian Human Rights Commission, 2008 ) was accepted in 1986 by all of Australia. However, it was non until about 10 old ages subsequently that the Principle transitioned from simply policy to go legislative pattern ( Child Protection Peak, LTD. ) The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle states the order in which it is preferred for Autochthonal kids to be placed once they are removed from their households: Their drawn-out households The kid s autochthonal community Other Autochthonal people If none of the above can be arranged, merely so will an Autochthonal kid go to a non-Indigenous Carer ( Australian Human Rights Commission, 2008 ) The Principle acknowledges that the old policies on assimilation caused agony to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It reflects the right of Autochthonal people to raise their kids in their ain civilization and maintain them as a portion of their communities ( Australian Human Rights Commission, 2008 ) . Childs that are placed in one of the three preferred options are described as being placed in conformity with the rule ( Australian Human Rights Commission, 2008 ) . In Australia in 2009-10, 70.5 % of Autochthonal kids who were placed in Out of Home Care were put in a preferable arrangement under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle such as with drawn-out household, other Autochthonal health professionals or in Autochthonal residential environment. The Principle besides requires that an Autochthonal administration or bureau be involved in the determination as to where to put the kid. In some legal power, the drawn-out household of the kid is besides involved in the determination ( SNAICC, 2011 ) . If a kid can non be placed with Autochthonal carers, so the Principle requires that every attempt be made for the kid to keep connexion with their household, linguistic communication and civilization ( SNAICC, 2011 ) . Literature reappraisal For the intent of this study, information on the experience of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander kids with Out of Home Foster attention was gathered from assorted equal reviewed articles, authorities and non-government studies. Though it must be noted that non all available stuff was researched due to time-constraints, the undermentioned information pertain to the beginnings used to inform this study: Many of the articles and studies focus to a great extent on the quantitative informations that represents and informs the statistics of Autochthonal kids in attention and for the assorted grounds for this happening. All articles, particularly those written by Indigenous organisations, see the Principle as a acknowledgment of the racialist attitudes held by past Australian Governments policies that removed Autochthonal kids from their households and into the places of Non-Indigenous, white Australians. Many of the beginnings believe the ground why there is such a high figure of Autochthonal kids in attention is, in a sense, a fall-out of the Stolen Generation ; the kids of the Stolen Generation were so traumatised that, now they are grownups, they can non rear their ain kids. A study done by the SNAICC in 2011 calls for comparative research to be done in the experience of Autochthonal kids in the assorted surrogate scenes. None of the literature disagreed with the Principle, merely that it can non be placed above the precedence to maintain the kid safe ( SNAICC, 2011 ) . The literature focused more on why Children are in attention, instead than how to forestall this and rehabilitate the parents who be traumatized by the Stolen Generation. Evaluation Harmonizing to the SNAICC, The Child Placement Principle is extremely important to Indigenous peoples for a figure of single, but connected, grounds: 1.In regard to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids, execution of the Principle provides the chance for these kids to keep a strong connexion to their extended household and community which is an of import factor in the kid developing a healthy and culturally relevant sense of individuality and well-being. 2. The SNAICC believe that the Principle was contrary to and discredits the thought that was the foundation for the policies of segregation and cultural assimilation held by the Australian Governments in old ages gone by. 3. It is possible that the psychological benefits of a kids being placed with members of their ain household or members of their ain culture/community is applicable to all kids in general. This could be specifically of import to kids of other civilizations populating within Australia In a qualitative study conducted by the Association of Children s Welfare Agencies NSW ( ACWA, 2004 ) , this sensed psychological benefit was the figure one ground spring by comparative carers for looking after a kid from their ain family- They re your ain flesh and blood one respondent was recorded as stating. It is besides seen as less traumatic for the kid to be placed in kin attention, as the people they are being placed with are people they place with, person they know .and experience comfy with . A strong sense of household duty was besides recognised in the study as a benefit of Family attention ( ACWA, 2004 ) The strong support for household or family attention for Autochthonal kids can besides be seen by the common position of many Autochthonal people that alternative signifiers of surrogate attention were flawed and potentially detrimental to the kids s development. One respondent to the study said that I think our history of other signifiers of alternate attention is black ( ACWA, 2004 ) . This is in mention to the Stolen Generations ( Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, 1997 as cited by ACWA, 2004 ) . 4.1 As mentioned antecedently, 70.5 % of Autochthonal kids are placed harmonizing to Principle . While this can be seen as a success compared to the old policies that affected the Stolen Generation, it is of import to discourse the other 29.5 % that are with non-Indigenous carers. This is chiefly due to the deficiency of Autochthonal carers in the Foster attention system. Some suggest that there are three chief grounds for this deficit: Trauma associated with the Stolen Generation has rendered some Autochthonal people incapable of looking after kids The hesitance of some Autochthonal people to be associated with the Welfare system in visible radiation of old public assistance policies and experience There are significantly more Autochthonal kids than there are Autochthonal grownups. Foster Agencies so hold much work to make in order to accommodate themselves with the Indigenous community. It besides increases their duty to the 29.5 % to guarantee sufficient and effectual cultural plans are available and utilized by the non-Indigenous carers and their Autochthonal Foster kids. 4.3 Whilst the SNAICC clearly support the Principle and believe that kids maintain connexions with their household and community is critical, they are concerned that the safety of Indigenous kids has non been discussed in recent treatments on the Principle. Whilst maintaining civilization is of import, it is neer more so than the safety of a kid placed in Out of Home attention. Puting a kid in the attention of a household member or their community merely to adhere to the Principle can neer be a justification for go forthing or seting the kid at hazard ( Berlyn, Bromfield A ; Lamont, 2011 ) . Decision As of June 2010, 47 % of kids in Out of Home Care we Indigenous kids. This makes Autochthonal kids 9 times more likely to be in attention than non-Indigenous kids. The highest ground for kids to be removed from their parents is neglect. Due to the history of the Autochthonal people, specifically in respects to the Stolen Generation and the policies that informed it, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle was introduced to maintain Autochthonal Children within their households, community or civilization in order to advance positive cultural individuality and better familial dealingss. Presently, merely 70.5 % of Autochthonal kids in attention are placed harmonizing to the Principle. More demands to be done to enroll Indigenous Foster carers and to efficaciously cut down the figure of Autochthonal kids traveling into attention.

Who is the Prophet Isaiah Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Who is the Prophet Isaiah - Research Paper Example Within a year of the death of Jeroboam II, however, the Jehu dynasty in the Northern Kingdom of Israel had come to an end and times of insecurity set in . Despite the greater sense of stability due to the Davidic dynasty in Judah, the spiritual and social problems that shook both Judah and Israel, including the deep socioeconomic divide, seemed pretty much identical . As though to multiply the Israelite woes, Tiglath-pileser III, who had gained the throne of Assyria, turned his attention westwards soon after stabilizing his rule in the East . Consequently, the Northern Kingdom sank into an abject vassalage to the Assyrian empire , and in 722 B.C., Tiglath-pileser’s successor, Sargon II, put an end to its existence capturing the capital city Samaria. Insofar as the Hebrew prophets, as witnesses of God’s vital concerns , had generally spoken to the people and elites in times of crisis, whether spiritual, moral or political , their guidance was badly needed by that time. Thus, the Assyrian menace, first posed by Tiglath-pileser III and then by his successors, Shalmaneser V, Sargon II and Sennacherib, was addressed, to a degree or another, by the prophets Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Micah, while the prophecy of Isaiah particularly reflected the Assyrian invasions of Syria-Palestine . 8. The moral and religious decay, which according to the prophets constituted the circumstances that led to the end of Israel – the Northern Kingdom – and had grave implications for Judah9, necessitated a source of authority, outside the complacent monarchy and priesthood, that would steer the nation â€Å"through the narrow straits of political uncertainty and moral inexactitude†10. This purpose of this paper is to convincingly reconstruct prophet Isaiah’s life and ministry, as found in the Old Testament; as well as to highlight the historical circumstances and divine inspiration that called forth his visions and prophecies. The Prophet’s Life Prophet Isaiah is thought to have lived in Jerusalem throughout most of the second half of the eight century B.C., namely 765-69511. The biographical details about the prophet are found especially in the Book of Isaiah, chapters 6-8, 20, and 36-39, while the historical – political, social and religious – circumstances of his time are thoroughly presented within 2 Kings 15-2012. However, the opening chapter of the Book of Isaiah provides some general information, namely the prophet’s name, the name of his father as well as the historical time13. The prophet’s name, â€Å"Yesha’yahu†, means â€Å"Yahweh saves† or â€Å"helps† and thus, according to Sawyer, enshrines two elements of immense theologica l significance – ‘yahu’, which stands for the name of Israel’s God, Yahweh, and ‘yesha’, which appears not only in the names of Joshua, Elisha, Hosea and Jesus (Yeshua), but also in the triumphant cry ‘Hosanna’ (save)1415. As for the name of Isaiah’s father, Amoz, due to the similarity between Latin and Greek forms of this name and that of prophet Amos, the latter had been initially mistaken for the father of Isaiah16. Among those, who believed the prophet-shepherd of Tekoa17 to be the father of Isaiah, was St Clement of Alexandria; however, as early as the antiquity there had been voices against that opinion, e.g. St Augustine (354-430 A.D.)18, St Jerome (342-420 A.D.)19, etc. Virtually nothing is known about prophet Isaiah’s ancestry; nevertheless, certain passages from the Book of Isaiah hint at the possibility of notable origin2021. As Souvay points out, a Jewish tradition

A Review of the book Packinghouse Daughter by Cheri Register Essay

A Review of the book Packinghouse Daughter by Cheri Register - Essay Example But she is only reflecting the 'beatnik' or 'hippy' point of view of the 1960's. Her hindsight at this stage of her life is evident in her work, but she does keep some childish perspective as she talks about her youth. Memories of her dad are that he talked about making knives at work and she called him a "millwright". It isn't until later that she speaks to the actual work he did butchering up animals. Like many kids who discover the reality of their parents' work world, she is not willing, or able, to give his real work the same dignity that she gives a millwright. But after describing the 'rich' kids at school, the white-collar suburban kids, she says that people from her town are "too moral" to do the things necessary to become rich, assuming that the only way to acquire money is to be dishonest. Another assumption is that they are all Republicans who would sell you out in a minute, unlike her Democratic roots. There is a pretty strong irony at the conclusion of the book where Register says that her parents end up living in the same assisted living facility as the former Governor and Mrs. Freeman. They bridge their social divide when Mr. Register shows the former Governor how to set the controls on his exercise bicycle and they have dinner together. In the second and thir... Unions are strong and important but are still aimed toward obtaining basic working conditions for union members. Being part of a union house holds its own merit. The strike at the plant lasts 109 days, about 3-1/2 months, which can be a long time for someone who has worked for years every day, and also for his family. Register doesn't write about her mother as much as she does her dad. The mother, maybe a typical housewife of the era, is in the background as a nice, supportive woman. Register does seem to have a lot of family and friends in Albert Lea. Friendships become strained as a result of the strike that threatens the economy of the area. Many people are opposed to it. But the strength of the union members' principles holds fast and after a violent patch, in which the Governor of Minnesota has to call in the National Guard and threatens to close the plant, they win their case and return to work. This memoir includes historical research and interviews with its personal memories. It crosses the lines that clarify what type of book it is this way. By doing this it sets itself apart from traditional memoirs or historical fiction. It won the American Book Award and the Minnesota Book Award for autobiography. Summary In the first chapter, The Blue Workshirt, Register relates how she wants to buy a blue work shirt from her hometown Montgomery Ward while on school break so that she can align herself with the campus radicals who, as Register puts it, "use fashion to decry fashion" (pp. 9-10). Register does not even want to call her folks 'parents' because she feels it is too "haughty" a word. After being in New York for the first semester of school,, she

Human Resources Retention and Recruitment Strategies for Long Term Essay

Human Resources Retention and Recruitment Strategies for Long Term Success - Essay Example This research will cite industry data surrounding the cost of hiring, training and retaining employees. This research will also provide concrete recommendations for improving current hiring practices and examples of retention tactics and strategies. Workplace Loyalty Current studies reveal that today’s workforce wants to be involved and engaged. They are not as "obedient" to rules as past generations. They show little to no loyalty to their current employer. The past several decades have been very unsettling for the labor market. In the past, it was not unusual to see single-career/single-employment lifetimes. Employees generally had a long term connection (and an assumption of long term employment) with a single company. Large-scale downsizings, mergers and acquisitions have reshaped this thinking. In addition, technological advances and increased globalization has resulted in new, higher-level job skill requirements. Many of the manual labor, industrial jobs have moved overseas. There is pressure, at both the exempt and non-exempt level, to work longer, faster, and harder. Employees are starting to question their commitment to not only their current employer, but also to their career choices. They are searching for more meaning outside of the workplace. Because of the search for meaning, this past decade has seen a surge in employee dissatisfaction with the workplace. This dissatisfaction has left them feeling disconnected in the workplace and has lead top talent leaving companies before they are let go. Pensions are disappearing, people are being downsized or fired and unemployment lines are increasing. Recently AT&T announced plans to cut 11,000 managers and 14,000 managers volunteered to be the ones to leave. In the mid 1990’s, Sears Canada announced a VIP (Voluntary Incentive Plan), a voluntary resignation plan with a lucrative severance package. As a result, the best and

Prisons and Jails Essay Example for Free

Prisons and Jails Essay Almost all nations and cultures have made laws to protect their citizens. From the early years and over the decades these laws have been kept in force to prevent the societies from experiencing situations of anarchy. Different punishment has been provided for in different countries to prevent its people from adopting a path and practice of criminal activities. The world of today is characterized by the presence of criminals who are brought to book and punished in a variety of ways depending on the culture and values of any country or society. Prisoners have been locked up in prisons and meted out with terms that include punishment by way of a rigorous regimen of hard labor while undergoing the term as also milder ones that may include a stint in reformatory homes. Historically punishments have ranged from corporal punishment to death penalty, Several countries have for long been awarding the death penalty for committing heinous crimes that were executed in several forms that included, hanging, guillotine, by firing squad, lynching and now electric chair. The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi is the oldest record available to ascertain that a egal system existed to award punishment in the Middle East. Western countries were influenced by and followed the laws enacted in ancient Rome whereby each city had a court that worked under the Law of Twelve Tables so as to protect citizens and to make the rulers and governments effective. The Justinian Code is considered to be the most logical and effective legal system that was most effective in ancient times whereby punishment was meted out by the process of Law. In due course people began to realize the value of a legal system that protected citizens and each country began to appoint heriffs to deal with punishments and the justice system became a major part of society although they were never fool proof and were always characterized by shortcomings that put a question mark on the efficiency of the judiciary. In ancient times the justice and reform system was often misused when criminals were hung on crosses, sometimes tortured to death or placed in dungeons to die. Those citizens who protested were also treated as criminals and tortured or put behind bars. It was during this time, in the 19th century and mainly in the Roman Empire that civil justice was effectively implemented nd more prisons were built to punish criminals humanely. This soon had effect on the rest of the world and with the emergence of the modern world more prisons were built and departments set up to manage them effectively. With the widespread maturing of the legal system over the decades, more and more criminals were brought to book and the law abiding citizens heaved a sigh of relief especially during the time of the Queen of Britain at the turn of the 19th century. Under the new system the criminal was given an opportunity to prove himself innocent and the overnment had to prove a person to be guilty of crime within the prevailing provisions of law, before he could be sentenced to a term of punishment and imprisonment. Although capital punishment continued to prevail but it was awarded in the rarest of rare cases. Over the years with the influence of Human Rights Organizations and Civil Rights Movements, the trend has set in to rather reform the wrong doers than to award extreme penalties by giving sentenced criminals opportunities to amend themselves and to come back within the mainstream of society. Under the system convicts are put on probation or parole under the watchful eyes of probation officers appointed by courts to ensure that such people remain disciplined and strictly follow the code of conduct as outlined by the court. The view of punishment taken by society has changed dramatically over the years. Initially punishment comprised of physical torture, maiming, death by burning, hard labor, deprivation of food adequate clothing and shelter, but attitudes of the society have changed now and the belief is to punish by way of imprisonment of varying periods epending on the severity of the crime. Imprisonment today is considered punishment for one’s wrong doings, which is also consistent with the society’s objective of keeping such people aloof until they are reformed to lead a normal life within society. To insist that a person is sent to prison so that he is punished is wrong in today’s context since after he completes his term he has the justification to return to his old ways. Hence prison authorities today have a duty to fulfill by way of reforming the convict during his term so as to transform him into a more responsible citizen. It is for this reason that in most countries modern society is characterized by a prison and punishment system that strongly believes that the most effective form of punishment is to deprive the convict of his freedom until he is reformed. In this context the composition and diversity of prison population in America has been examined and found that presently over two million people are in American prisons. This does indicate that modern society has now been characterized by a pattern, which clearly indicates that the government is duty bound to ensure freedom to criminals once their 4 rison terms are over and that they gel back into society with a tag of respect and positive aspirations. The changing attitudes and trends have seen a constant inflow of inmates in the Federal, State and local prisons. The Federal government held a majority of 63% of the inmates while local municipal and county jails held 30%, and the remaining being accounted for in other prisons.. Most states have been experiencing a 5% increase in the number of inmates over the last three years. Private prisons held about 86626 prisoners which accounts for about 7% of the inmates in American prison. A private prison is a place in which convicts are physically detained by a private organization for profit at the instance of the legal authorities. These companies enter into an agreement with the federal government to take care of and reform and motivate prisoners and claim from them a fixed fee amount per prisoner. There are about 264 private prisons/correctional facilities in the United States that take care of about 110000 offenders. The concept of private prisons was floated to reduce government expenses in the long run, but the scheme has not worked effectively due to private sector neffectiveness with convicts, and having realized this the federal government is not encouraging further addition to their numbers. The number of private prisons is now set to decline gradually. Rates of imprisonment have greatly increased due to increase in the rate of criminal offences, which is considered a consequence of the fast track development that is taking place in the modern world. More delinquencies resulting from human inadequacies to tolerate inequalities have resulted in people taking the course first towards minor crimes and then graduating to bigger ones and then ultimately falling into legal traps that lead to their conviction and further imprisonment. In America imprisonment is the most common sentence in legislation for serious offences in terms of dealing with criminal activities, which explains the high number of prisoners in jails. Only effective and well targeted correction measures and programs can reduce criminal offending and over time there is good reason to target investment in preventive approaches for the betterment of those undergoing prison sentences. As discussed earlier, in the modern world the biggest punishment for a criminal is to urtail his freedom for the duration of his sentence and during this time it is the duty of the jail administration to make him undergo a rigorous regimen of correction and transformation into a more responsible and law abiding citizen. The American government has an arrangement in place whereby all jail administrators are to undergo a training program to specialize in dealing with and reforming convicts and to encourage them in displaying their creativity and interests so that when their prison term is over they can lead the life style that is in keeping with that of a responsible and respectable citizen. The American judicial and correction system is such that it is considered to be one of the most liberal in terms of providing guarantees of human rights and opportunities for misguided people to reform themselves. There are several government sponsored programs that provide for opportunities for such people to reestablish themselves for a better means of livelihood. The punishment part for their wrong doings gets over the moment they finish with the duration of their prison sentence and after that they can look forward to a happier life free of the stigma that attaches to a person of such background.

Assessment Centers as a Recruitment Strategy

Assessment Centers as a Recruitment Strategy SYNOPSIS TOPIC : â€Å"Assessment Centers Its Pertinence, Functionality and Application† OBJECTIVE : Primary Objective The theme permeating this research is to know about the Assessment Centers inside out, its relevance in todays businesses, functions and objectives. Secondary Objective To apprehend the application of Assessment Centers in various firms. ABSTRACT : An Assessment Center is a process designed to assess whether candidates have the skills required for the job and the future potential that the organizations are looking for. It mainly comprises a range of activities or simulations designed to test these factors. Some of the activities that are included in Assessment Center are Psychometric Tests, In-basket Exercises, Group Exercises, Role Plays, Behavioural Interviews, Case Studies et al. The primary objective of an Assessment Center is to match the right person with the available positions in an organization. The assessment center method, in its modern form, came into existence as a result of the ATT Management Progress Study In this study, which began in the late 1950s, individuals entering management positions in Bell Telephone operating companies were assessed and, from then on, their careers were followed. The chief reason the assessment center method is valid in so many different countries is that it is an easily adaptable evaluation system. Assessment Centre Method has a bearing on the following aspects of personnel management: staffing: decision making on selection, promotion, turnover and dismissal; staff development: determining educational and training requirements improving performance in management/staff relationships; bringing compensation policy in line with general policy objectives. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY : The Research will consist of Secondary Data (Reference Books, Websites, Business Journals and Articles) and Primary Data (Questionnaire, Interviews from Industry Experts) GUIDE : Prof. Arvind Rajashekar, visiting faculty, IIPM. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A Research is something that always has a question or a problem on the other side of it. The purpose behind ay research is to question through the application of Sciences or otherwise. It is a systematic and an in-depth study with the use of Primary and Secondary Instruments to gain more or complete knowledge of the subject under study. Research consists of Secondary and Primary Instruments 1. PRIMARY RESEARCH The Primary research consists of conducting a Questionnaire Survey with HR Professionals, business persons and Consultants. For this purpose, I have kept a Sample Size of 20 Respondents. The aim behind this survey is to get knowledge about Assessment Centers and its application and use by the Industry expert themselves and also Consultants who have applied Assessment Centers as a tool of Evaluation. 2. SECONDARY RESEARCH v The Secondary research consists of : a. Books on Assessment Centers b. Articles on the Internet c. Articles published in Business Journals d. HR Websites e. Research Papers by Industry experts Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION TO ASSESSMENT CENTERS 1.1 Assessment Centers A Gist An Assessment Center (AC) is a process designed to assess whether candidates have the skills required for the job and the future potential that the organizations are looking for. It mainly comprises a range of activities or simulations designed to test these factors. Some of the activities that are included in Assessment Center are Psychometric Tests, In-basket Exercises, Group Exercises, Role Plays, Behavioural Interviews, Case Studies et al. Traditionally an assessment centre consisted of a suite of exercises designed to assess a set of personal characteristics, it was seen as a rather formal process where the individuals being assessed had the results fed back to them in the context of a simple yes/no selection decision. However, recently definite shift is seen in thinking away from this traditional view of an assessment centre to one which stresses the developmental aspect of assessment. A consequence of this is that today it is very rare to come across an assessment centre which does not have at least some developmental aspect to it, increasingly assessment centres are stressing a collaborative approach which involves the individual actively participating in the process rather than being a passive recipient of it. In some cases we can even find assessment centres that are so developmental in their approach that most of the assessment work done is carried out by the participants themselves and the major function of the centre is to provide the participants with feedback that is as much developmental as judgmental in nature. The primary objective of an Assessment Center is to match the right person with the available positions in an organization. Assessment Centre Method has a bearing on the following aspects of personnel management: staffing: decision making on selection, promotion, turnover and dismissal; staff development: determining educational and training requirements improving performance in management/staff relationships; bringing compensation policy in line with general policy objectives. To align the strategic intent in line with the market requirements. 1.2 Definitions of an Assessment Center given by Consultants, Academicians Practitioners * Assessment Centres are often described as the variety of testing techniques that allow the candidates to demonstrate, under standardized conditions, the skills and abilities most essential for success in a given job. Dennis A. Joiner, ‘Assessment centre in public sector: A practical approach, Public Personnel Management Journal. * An assessment center is a comprehensive standardized procedure in which multiple assessment techniques such as situational exercises and job simulation (business games, discussions, reports presentations) are used to evaluate individual employee for variety of manpower decisions. * An Assessment Centre consists of a standardized evaluation of behavior based on multiple inputs. Several trained observers and techniques are used. Judgements about behavior are made, in major part, from specifically developed assessment simulations. These judgements are pooled in a meeting among the assessors or by statistical integration process. In an integration discussion, comprehensive accounts of behavior, and often ratting of it, are pooled. The discussion results in evaluation of performance of the assessees on the dimensions/competencies or other variables that the assessment centre is designed to measure. Statistical combination methods should be validated in accordance with professionally accepted standards. ‘Guidelines and ethical considerations for assessment centre operations. 28th International Congress on Assessment Centre Methods * The main feature of assessment centres is that they are a multiple assessment process. There are five main ways in which that is so. A group of participants takes part in a variety of exercises observed by a team of trained assessors who evaluate each participant against a number of predetermined, job related behaviors. Decisions are then made by pooling shared data. Iain Ballantyne and Nigel Povah * An assessment centre is a process in which individuals participate in a series of exercises, most of which approximate what they would be called upon to do in the future job. Assessors usually selected from higher management levels in the firm, are trained to observe the participants and evaluate their performance as fairly and impartially as possible. -‘Can assessment centres be used to improve the salesperson selection process, E. James Randall, Ernest E. Cooke, Richard J. Jefferies, Journal of personal selling and sales management * An assessment centre is a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional approach designed to provide reliable and valid information about a range of competencies of an individual considered to be necessary for successful performance at a target level in a specific job. ‘360 degree feedback, competency mapping and assessment centres, Radha R. Sharma * Tata Management Training Centres definition of AC: AC is an integrated standardized process in which a series of exercises are used to assess people on pre-defined parameters. These pre-definedparameters define job success in a given organizationalcontext. Most of the exercises are simulation of job activities/work challenges that the candidate is expected to perform in the next level role/job. 1.3 History of Assessment Centers Assessment Centre process was first used sometime between the two world wars. The Treaty of Versailles, which ended the First World War, prevented Germany from rearming and thus the traditional approach to the selection of officers, which was of observing their performance in war or in exercises was denied to them. German psychologists then devised this method which involved a combination of tests, simulations and exercises to identify the potential of officer candidates. The British Army used this methodology in the early days of Second World War when they established the War Office Selection Boards (WOSBs), again for the selection of officer candidates. However, it was brought into the private sector only in 1956 after ATT (American Telephone Telegraph Company) used it for selection of high potentials for managerial positions. This was the first industrial application of the assessment centre methodology. Both individual characteristics of young managers as well as organizational settings in which they worked were studied and evaluation at the assessment centre was used to predict whether the participant would make it to the middle management in the next ten years or less. The sample included both recent college graduates and non-management personnel who had risen to the managerial positions relatively early in their career. The dimensions assessed included managerial functions like organizing, planning, decision making, general ability such as intellectual ability, personal impression, sensitivity, and values and attitudes, both work related and social. The success of the earlier work of ATT was followed by Standard Oil which was the second to a start assessment centres. This was followed by IBM, Sears Roebuck, General Electric, and Caterpillar tractors. By 1981 more than 2500 organizations applied this methodology to select potential managers 1.4 Assessment Centers in Asia The first assessment centre in Asia was for selecting project leaders for the entrepreneurship development programme in Gujarat. Subsequently, efforts were made to introduce it in Larsen and Toubro . LT did a lot of work on job profiling but never got to the stage of developing an assessment centre for potential appraisal. Crompton Greaves attempted to use an assessment centre approach for selecting their general managers from within. It is only in the 1990s that interest in assessment centres was renewed. This was a natural response to the need to ensure competent people manning strategic positions. A large number of Asian companies have established assessment centres and many others are exploring. The companies that are trying out include : RPG Group, Escorts, TISCO, Aditya Birla Group, Eicher, Cadburys, Castrol (India), Glaxo, Grindwell Norton, ONGC, Mahindra and Mahindra, SAIL, Siemens, Wipro, Wockhardt, and Johnson Johnson. Different organizations initiated assessment centres for recruitment, selection, placement, promotion, career development, performance appraisal, and succession planning and development purposes such as identification of training needs, identification high potential managers, create a pool of managerial talent and multifunctional managers that would be available across the business group, employee recognition and fast growth. Philips, Dr. Reddys Laboratories, and Global Trust Bank are organizations that have been using assessment centres. Some of these organizations are, in the process of developing Indian managerial talent and measure it periodically. Generally the competencies that are to be measured are determined by each organization by using methods such as job analysis, managerial aptitude profile surveys, identifying competencies in star performers, etc. A variety of assessment techniques are used in Asian organizations like in-baskets, business simulations, questionnaires, group discussions, role plays, interviews, case study, individual presentations, etc. While the need is felt by all organizations to test reliability and validity of the tools used, many of them are not testing them. Both internal and external assessors are used for evaluation. Assessor training is done either through in-house training programmes or with the aid of external institutions like Academy of HRD (Hyderabad), SHL (UK), etc. Some Asian organizations have also sought assistance from organizations abroad that are using assessment centres such as GE, and Motorola. 1.5 Training and Developmental Needs Analysis The assessment centre methodology can be used to measure the abilities of individuals against certain critical criteria and identify their training and developmental needs. Such assessment centres are more diagnostic than evaluative and can be termed as development centres. In the case of use of assessment centre methodology for early identification, promotion, and selection, a final yes-no decision is critical. But in diagnostic assessment centres or development centres, final overall decision is insignificant. Each dimension must be measured with a high degree of reliability and validity because decisions are being made on each dimension. Therefore, the dimensions to be studied should be made as specific as possible. Quick, easy training methods dont change peoples skill levels. Skill acquisition requires intensive, time-consuming classroom training and must be coupled with opportunities for on-the-job practice and feedback so new behaviors are â€Å"set† in the individuals repertoire. Because skill development takes a lot of time and effort, everyone cannot be trained in every skill. The assessment center method provides an effective means to determine training or developmental needs. Individuals then can be placed in the most appropriate program. The assessment center method is an excellent diagnostic tool because it separates an individuals abilities into specific areas (dimensions) and then seeks specific examples of good and poor behavior within each dimension. This helps the assessee and his/her boss determine more precisely what training and developmental activities are required. Almost all organizations using assessment centers for selection or promotion also use the information obtained to diagnose training needs. However, a major shift in focus is the large number of firms now using assessment centers solely to diagnose training needs. 1.6 Relationship between an Assessment Center and Development Center The type of centre can vary between the traditional assessment centre used purely for selection to the more modern development centre which involves self-assessment and whose primary purpose is development. One might ask the question Why group assessment and development centres together if they have different purposes? The answer to that question is threefold. Firstly, they both involve assessment and it is only the end use of the information obtained which is different i.e. one for selection and one for development; secondly, it is impossible to draw a line between assessment and development centres because all centres, be they for assessment or development naturally lie somewhere on a continuum somewhere between the two extremes; thirdly most assessment centres involve at least some development and most development centres involve at least some assessment. This means that it is very rare to find a centre devoted to pure assessment or pure development.. Also, it purely depends upon the Organizations requirements, its policies and procedures whether it wants to conduct an AC or a DC. It is easier to think about assessment centres as being equally to do with selection and development because a degree of assessment goes on in both. Development centres grew out a liberalisation of thinking about assessment centres and it is a historical quirk that while assessment centres were once used purely for selection and have evolved to have a more developmental flavour the language used to describe them has not. Another problem with using the assessment development dichotomy is that at the very least it causes us to infer that little or no assessment goes in development centres. While you will hear centres being called assessment or development centres remember that assessment goes on in both and so to some extent at least they are both assessment centres. The end result of this is that it is not possible to talk about assessment or development centres in any but the most general terms. It is more useful to talk about the constituent parts and general processes involved in each. In these terms we can identify a number of differences between assessment and development centres that one might typically find: Assessment centres usually * have a pass/fail criteria * are geared towards filing a job vacancy * address an immediate organisational need * have fewer assessors and more participants * involve line managers as assessors * have less emphasis placed on self-assessment * focus on what the candidate can do now * are geared to meet the needs of the organisation * assign the role of judge to assessors * place emphasis on selection with little or no developmental feedback and follow up * give feedback at a later date * involve the organisation having control over the information obtained * have very little pre-centre briefing * tend to be used with external candidates Development centres usually * do not have a pass/fail criteria * are geared towards developing the individual * address a longer term need * have a 1:1 ratio of assessor to participant * do not have line managers as assessors * have a greater emphasis placed on self-assessment * focus on potential * are geared to meet needs of the individual as well as the organisation * assign the role of facilitator to assessors * place emphasis on developmental feedback and follow up with little or no selection function * give feedback immediately * involve the individual having control over the information obtained * have a substantial pre-centre briefing * tend to be used with internal candidates Chapter 2 ASSESSMENT CENTERS INSIDE OUT 2.1 Stages in a typical Assessment Center A typical Assessment Center consists of the following stages. They are : Pre AC Stage During AC Stage Post AC Stage a. PRE AC STAGE * Defining the objective of AC . * Get approval for AC from the concerned officials. * Conduct job analysis. * Define the competencies required for the target position. * Identify the potential position holder and send them invitations. * Identify the observers. * Train the observers. * Design the AC exercises * Decide the rating methodology. * Make infrastructural arrangements. * Schedule the AC. * Informing the concerned people of the schedule. b. DURING AC STAGE * Explain participants the purpose of the AC, the procedure it would follow and its outcome. * Give instructions to the participants, before every exercise. * Distribute the competency-exercise matrix sheets among observers. * Conduct all exercises. * Conduct a discussion of all observers on every participants ratings, at the end of the session. * Make a report of the strengths and improvement areas of every participant. * Give feedback to participants. * Get feedback from participants and observers about the conduction of AC. c. POST AC STAGE * Compile reports of all participants and submit the list of selected participants to the concerned authorities. * Make improvements in the design according to the recommendations. * Evaluate the validity of results after a definite period. 2.2 Sequence of Steps of an Assessment Center Sequence of Steps of an Assessment Center ( Source ‘Assessment Center for Identifying potential project managers , a Paper for the 6th European Conference on Software Quality 1999 in Vienna ) 2.3 Factors for Evaluating Assessment Center Design Five Factors for evaluating the Center Design The COLAT Model (Source Research Paper ‘Assessment of Assessment Centers by Dr. P. Sethu Madhavan) Center Design The following factors related to the centre design can be used to evaluate and compare the Assessment Centers s in the backdrop of best practices and benchmarks. * Use of qualified resource persons, assessors and support staff * Content validity of the centre and the competency profiles * Use of triangulation and corroboration of assessment results Organizational Preparedness Organizational preparedness refers to following macro level factors, that need to be addressed adequately and established in order to make an assessment or development centre to work effectively. * Policies and procedures * Structure * Clarity of organisational objectives * Buy in, commitment and change management * Communication Linkages, integration and alignment It has been observed that organizations vary considerably in ensuring the linkages, integration and alignment of ACs with the other organisational level factors and the individual level factors. ACs, therefore can be evaluated based on the following best practice anchors falling under these dimensions. * Alignment with core values, vision, mission and strategy * Alignment and linkages with other key HR systems and processes * Alignment with external professional bodies ADCs should be â€Å"purposively† aligned with and derived from the strategy, vision, mission, values and culture of the organisation or the unit. The centre should be designed in such way as to ensure that it helps to meet the strategic objectives of the organisation Quality of Assessment tools and methods In many countries, professional associations and legal requirements dictate that ACs follow some standard practices in the selection, use and administration of assessment methods, especially the psychometric tests. India perhaps has been lagging behind in imposing national level professional standards and certifications to ensure competent and ethical use of psychometric tests. In the absence of any national level qualifications regarding the use of psychometric tests in India, many institutions have been doing a great service to fill this gap by offering, professional training and consultancy services. However, observations and experiences reveal that ACs still vary considerably on their eagerness to ensure quality of tools and methods. * Quality of administration * Reliability * Validity * Utility * Reactivity * Relevance * Test fairness(Statistical) * Technology and use of computers Treatment of Participants and Data Treatment of participants and data in assessment centers is very important from ethical point of view. Some variables and indicators related to this dimension are listed below. * Psychological fairness as perceived by the participants and stakeholders * Right to information, informed consent and informed decisions * Confidentiality and data protection * Feedback policy * Post assessment follow-up and support 2.4 Types of Assessment Exercises Some of the widely used Assessment Center Exercises are as follows : Assement Center Exercise An in-tray or in-basket exercise asks to assume a particular role as an employee of a fictitious company and work through the correspondence in your in-tray. This exercise is designed to measure candidates ability to organize and prioritize work. In a presentation exercise, candidate is given a topic or possibly a choice of topics and asked to make a presentation of around ten minutes with five minutes at the end for questions. This is designed to measure his presentation skills including the ability to organise and structure the information and to communicate his points clearly and concisely. Group discussion exercises involve working with other candidates as part of a team to resolve a presented issue. These exercises are designed to measure interpersonal skills such as group leadership, teamwork, negotiation, and group problem solving skills. Panel interviews are regarded as a more objective means of assessing the candidates suitability as he will be interviewed by between three and five people and therefore the decision is not reliant on just one persons opinion. In addition, they are usually more structured than a one-to-one interview as the panel need to assess all of the candidates against the same criteria. 2.5 How Assessment Center Exercises are Conducted ? The assessment centre method is utilized in a variety of settings including industry and business, government, armed forces, educational institutions, and safety forces to select individuals for supervisory, technical, sales, or management positions. One recent trend is in the development of mass testing. This is done by video-taping candidates as they perform various exercises and by using objectively scored exercises. This permits the assessment of a much larger number of candidates per day as the scoring is done later and requires far less observation and administration. Assesment Centre Procedure Assessment centres are usually used after the initial stages of the selection process, because of the large amount of time and expense in conducting them, and usually follow the initial job interview. Other measurements such as psychological tests may complement the selection process.: They are commonly held either on employers premises or in a hotel and are considered by many organizations to be the fairest and most accurate method of selecting staff. This is because a number of different selectors get to see you over a longer period of time and have the chance to see what you can do, rather than what you say you can do, in a variety of situations. Assessment Centres may be conducted by HR personnel within the employer company or by outside consultants. They are highly structured in their design, application, and assessment procedure and are specifically adapted to assess factors such as your level of skills, aptitude and compatibility with the organizations culture. Each test measures a range of indicators within these factors. During each test, a group of observers will rate the candidate on a range of set indicators, using a prescribed performance scale. Results are then cross compared against the same indicators, which are measured in other tests. Following test completion, observers meet to discuss the test results and reach a group consensus about the ratings. At the beginning of the assessment, participant should receive an initial briefing about the timetable of tests, location of rooms etc. Prior to each test, he will be given instructions describing the exercise, his role, timeframes, equipment etc. He will not be told in detail about the individual indicators which will be measured. In addition, he is unlikely to receive feedback on the results, unless he have been successfully selected. Assessment centers typically involve the participants completing a range of exercises which simulate the activities carried out in the target job. Various combinations of these exercises and sometimes other assessment methods like psychometric testing and interviews are used to assess particular competencies in individuals. The theory behind this is that if one wishes to predict future job performance then the best way of doing this is to get the individual to carry out a set of tasks which accurately sample those required in the job and are as similar to them as possible. The particular competencies used will depend upon the target job but one will often find competencies such as relating to people; resistance to stress; planning and organising; motivation; adaptability and flexibility; problem solving; leadership; communication; decision making and initiative. There are numerous possible competencies and the ones which are relevant to a particular job are determined through job ana lysis. The fact that a set of exercises is used demonstrates one crucial characteristic of an assessment centre namely that it is behaviour that is being observed and measured. This represents a significant departure from many traditional selection approaches which rely on the observer or selector attempting to infer personal characteristics from behaviour based upon subjective judgement and usually precious little evidence. This approach is rendered unfair and inaccurate by the subjective whims and biases of the selector and in many cases produces a selection decision based on a freewheeling social interaction after which a decision is made whether the individual is face fit with the organisation. 2.6 Essential Elements of an Assessment Center Assessment Centers must have the following criteria to be called so : 1. Job Analysis To understand job challenges and the competencies required for successful execution of the job. 2. Predefined competencies Modeling the competencies, which will be tested during the process. 3. Behavioral classification Behaviors displayed by participants must be classified into meaningful and relevant categories such as dimensions, attributes, characteristics, aptitudes, qualities, skills, abilities, competencies, and knowledge. 4. Assessment techniques These include a number of exercises to test the assessees of their potentials. Each competency is tested through atleast 2 exercises for gathering adequate evidence for the presence of particular competence. 5. Simulations The exercises should simulate the job responsibilities as closely as possible to eliminate potential errors in selection. 6. Observations Accurate and unbiased observation is the most critical aspect of an AC. 7. Observers Multiple observers are used to eliminate subjectivity and biases from the process. They are given thorough training in the process prior to participating in the AC. 8. Recording Behavior A systematic procedure of recording must be used by the assessors for future reference. The recording could be in the form of hand written note, behavioral checklist, audio-video recording etc. 9. Reports Each observer must make a detailed report of his observation before going for the discussion of integration of scores. 10. Data Integration The pooling of information from different assessors is done through statistical techniques. 2.7 Assessment Centers Usage Various Organizations use the data provided Assessment Centers as a Recruitment Strategy Assessment Centers as a Recruitment Strategy SYNOPSIS TOPIC : â€Å"Assessment Centers Its Pertinence, Functionality and Application† OBJECTIVE : Primary Objective The theme permeating this research is to know about the Assessment Centers inside out, its relevance in todays businesses, functions and objectives. Secondary Objective To apprehend the application of Assessment Centers in various firms. ABSTRACT : An Assessment Center is a process designed to assess whether candidates have the skills required for the job and the future potential that the organizations are looking for. It mainly comprises a range of activities or simulations designed to test these factors. Some of the activities that are included in Assessment Center are Psychometric Tests, In-basket Exercises, Group Exercises, Role Plays, Behavioural Interviews, Case Studies et al. The primary objective of an Assessment Center is to match the right person with the available positions in an organization. The assessment center method, in its modern form, came into existence as a result of the ATT Management Progress Study In this study, which began in the late 1950s, individuals entering management positions in Bell Telephone operating companies were assessed and, from then on, their careers were followed. The chief reason the assessment center method is valid in so many different countries is that it is an easily adaptable evaluation system. Assessment Centre Method has a bearing on the following aspects of personnel management: staffing: decision making on selection, promotion, turnover and dismissal; staff development: determining educational and training requirements improving performance in management/staff relationships; bringing compensation policy in line with general policy objectives. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY : The Research will consist of Secondary Data (Reference Books, Websites, Business Journals and Articles) and Primary Data (Questionnaire, Interviews from Industry Experts) GUIDE : Prof. Arvind Rajashekar, visiting faculty, IIPM. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A Research is something that always has a question or a problem on the other side of it. The purpose behind ay research is to question through the application of Sciences or otherwise. It is a systematic and an in-depth study with the use of Primary and Secondary Instruments to gain more or complete knowledge of the subject under study. Research consists of Secondary and Primary Instruments 1. PRIMARY RESEARCH The Primary research consists of conducting a Questionnaire Survey with HR Professionals, business persons and Consultants. For this purpose, I have kept a Sample Size of 20 Respondents. The aim behind this survey is to get knowledge about Assessment Centers and its application and use by the Industry expert themselves and also Consultants who have applied Assessment Centers as a tool of Evaluation. 2. SECONDARY RESEARCH v The Secondary research consists of : a. Books on Assessment Centers b. Articles on the Internet c. Articles published in Business Journals d. HR Websites e. Research Papers by Industry experts Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION TO ASSESSMENT CENTERS 1.1 Assessment Centers A Gist An Assessment Center (AC) is a process designed to assess whether candidates have the skills required for the job and the future potential that the organizations are looking for. It mainly comprises a range of activities or simulations designed to test these factors. Some of the activities that are included in Assessment Center are Psychometric Tests, In-basket Exercises, Group Exercises, Role Plays, Behavioural Interviews, Case Studies et al. Traditionally an assessment centre consisted of a suite of exercises designed to assess a set of personal characteristics, it was seen as a rather formal process where the individuals being assessed had the results fed back to them in the context of a simple yes/no selection decision. However, recently definite shift is seen in thinking away from this traditional view of an assessment centre to one which stresses the developmental aspect of assessment. A consequence of this is that today it is very rare to come across an assessment centre which does not have at least some developmental aspect to it, increasingly assessment centres are stressing a collaborative approach which involves the individual actively participating in the process rather than being a passive recipient of it. In some cases we can even find assessment centres that are so developmental in their approach that most of the assessment work done is carried out by the participants themselves and the major function of the centre is to provide the participants with feedback that is as much developmental as judgmental in nature. The primary objective of an Assessment Center is to match the right person with the available positions in an organization. Assessment Centre Method has a bearing on the following aspects of personnel management: staffing: decision making on selection, promotion, turnover and dismissal; staff development: determining educational and training requirements improving performance in management/staff relationships; bringing compensation policy in line with general policy objectives. To align the strategic intent in line with the market requirements. 1.2 Definitions of an Assessment Center given by Consultants, Academicians Practitioners * Assessment Centres are often described as the variety of testing techniques that allow the candidates to demonstrate, under standardized conditions, the skills and abilities most essential for success in a given job. Dennis A. Joiner, ‘Assessment centre in public sector: A practical approach, Public Personnel Management Journal. * An assessment center is a comprehensive standardized procedure in which multiple assessment techniques such as situational exercises and job simulation (business games, discussions, reports presentations) are used to evaluate individual employee for variety of manpower decisions. * An Assessment Centre consists of a standardized evaluation of behavior based on multiple inputs. Several trained observers and techniques are used. Judgements about behavior are made, in major part, from specifically developed assessment simulations. These judgements are pooled in a meeting among the assessors or by statistical integration process. In an integration discussion, comprehensive accounts of behavior, and often ratting of it, are pooled. The discussion results in evaluation of performance of the assessees on the dimensions/competencies or other variables that the assessment centre is designed to measure. Statistical combination methods should be validated in accordance with professionally accepted standards. ‘Guidelines and ethical considerations for assessment centre operations. 28th International Congress on Assessment Centre Methods * The main feature of assessment centres is that they are a multiple assessment process. There are five main ways in which that is so. A group of participants takes part in a variety of exercises observed by a team of trained assessors who evaluate each participant against a number of predetermined, job related behaviors. Decisions are then made by pooling shared data. Iain Ballantyne and Nigel Povah * An assessment centre is a process in which individuals participate in a series of exercises, most of which approximate what they would be called upon to do in the future job. Assessors usually selected from higher management levels in the firm, are trained to observe the participants and evaluate their performance as fairly and impartially as possible. -‘Can assessment centres be used to improve the salesperson selection process, E. James Randall, Ernest E. Cooke, Richard J. Jefferies, Journal of personal selling and sales management * An assessment centre is a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional approach designed to provide reliable and valid information about a range of competencies of an individual considered to be necessary for successful performance at a target level in a specific job. ‘360 degree feedback, competency mapping and assessment centres, Radha R. Sharma * Tata Management Training Centres definition of AC: AC is an integrated standardized process in which a series of exercises are used to assess people on pre-defined parameters. These pre-definedparameters define job success in a given organizationalcontext. Most of the exercises are simulation of job activities/work challenges that the candidate is expected to perform in the next level role/job. 1.3 History of Assessment Centers Assessment Centre process was first used sometime between the two world wars. The Treaty of Versailles, which ended the First World War, prevented Germany from rearming and thus the traditional approach to the selection of officers, which was of observing their performance in war or in exercises was denied to them. German psychologists then devised this method which involved a combination of tests, simulations and exercises to identify the potential of officer candidates. The British Army used this methodology in the early days of Second World War when they established the War Office Selection Boards (WOSBs), again for the selection of officer candidates. However, it was brought into the private sector only in 1956 after ATT (American Telephone Telegraph Company) used it for selection of high potentials for managerial positions. This was the first industrial application of the assessment centre methodology. Both individual characteristics of young managers as well as organizational settings in which they worked were studied and evaluation at the assessment centre was used to predict whether the participant would make it to the middle management in the next ten years or less. The sample included both recent college graduates and non-management personnel who had risen to the managerial positions relatively early in their career. The dimensions assessed included managerial functions like organizing, planning, decision making, general ability such as intellectual ability, personal impression, sensitivity, and values and attitudes, both work related and social. The success of the earlier work of ATT was followed by Standard Oil which was the second to a start assessment centres. This was followed by IBM, Sears Roebuck, General Electric, and Caterpillar tractors. By 1981 more than 2500 organizations applied this methodology to select potential managers 1.4 Assessment Centers in Asia The first assessment centre in Asia was for selecting project leaders for the entrepreneurship development programme in Gujarat. Subsequently, efforts were made to introduce it in Larsen and Toubro . LT did a lot of work on job profiling but never got to the stage of developing an assessment centre for potential appraisal. Crompton Greaves attempted to use an assessment centre approach for selecting their general managers from within. It is only in the 1990s that interest in assessment centres was renewed. This was a natural response to the need to ensure competent people manning strategic positions. A large number of Asian companies have established assessment centres and many others are exploring. The companies that are trying out include : RPG Group, Escorts, TISCO, Aditya Birla Group, Eicher, Cadburys, Castrol (India), Glaxo, Grindwell Norton, ONGC, Mahindra and Mahindra, SAIL, Siemens, Wipro, Wockhardt, and Johnson Johnson. Different organizations initiated assessment centres for recruitment, selection, placement, promotion, career development, performance appraisal, and succession planning and development purposes such as identification of training needs, identification high potential managers, create a pool of managerial talent and multifunctional managers that would be available across the business group, employee recognition and fast growth. Philips, Dr. Reddys Laboratories, and Global Trust Bank are organizations that have been using assessment centres. Some of these organizations are, in the process of developing Indian managerial talent and measure it periodically. Generally the competencies that are to be measured are determined by each organization by using methods such as job analysis, managerial aptitude profile surveys, identifying competencies in star performers, etc. A variety of assessment techniques are used in Asian organizations like in-baskets, business simulations, questionnaires, group discussions, role plays, interviews, case study, individual presentations, etc. While the need is felt by all organizations to test reliability and validity of the tools used, many of them are not testing them. Both internal and external assessors are used for evaluation. Assessor training is done either through in-house training programmes or with the aid of external institutions like Academy of HRD (Hyderabad), SHL (UK), etc. Some Asian organizations have also sought assistance from organizations abroad that are using assessment centres such as GE, and Motorola. 1.5 Training and Developmental Needs Analysis The assessment centre methodology can be used to measure the abilities of individuals against certain critical criteria and identify their training and developmental needs. Such assessment centres are more diagnostic than evaluative and can be termed as development centres. In the case of use of assessment centre methodology for early identification, promotion, and selection, a final yes-no decision is critical. But in diagnostic assessment centres or development centres, final overall decision is insignificant. Each dimension must be measured with a high degree of reliability and validity because decisions are being made on each dimension. Therefore, the dimensions to be studied should be made as specific as possible. Quick, easy training methods dont change peoples skill levels. Skill acquisition requires intensive, time-consuming classroom training and must be coupled with opportunities for on-the-job practice and feedback so new behaviors are â€Å"set† in the individuals repertoire. Because skill development takes a lot of time and effort, everyone cannot be trained in every skill. The assessment center method provides an effective means to determine training or developmental needs. Individuals then can be placed in the most appropriate program. The assessment center method is an excellent diagnostic tool because it separates an individuals abilities into specific areas (dimensions) and then seeks specific examples of good and poor behavior within each dimension. This helps the assessee and his/her boss determine more precisely what training and developmental activities are required. Almost all organizations using assessment centers for selection or promotion also use the information obtained to diagnose training needs. However, a major shift in focus is the large number of firms now using assessment centers solely to diagnose training needs. 1.6 Relationship between an Assessment Center and Development Center The type of centre can vary between the traditional assessment centre used purely for selection to the more modern development centre which involves self-assessment and whose primary purpose is development. One might ask the question Why group assessment and development centres together if they have different purposes? The answer to that question is threefold. Firstly, they both involve assessment and it is only the end use of the information obtained which is different i.e. one for selection and one for development; secondly, it is impossible to draw a line between assessment and development centres because all centres, be they for assessment or development naturally lie somewhere on a continuum somewhere between the two extremes; thirdly most assessment centres involve at least some development and most development centres involve at least some assessment. This means that it is very rare to find a centre devoted to pure assessment or pure development.. Also, it purely depends upon the Organizations requirements, its policies and procedures whether it wants to conduct an AC or a DC. It is easier to think about assessment centres as being equally to do with selection and development because a degree of assessment goes on in both. Development centres grew out a liberalisation of thinking about assessment centres and it is a historical quirk that while assessment centres were once used purely for selection and have evolved to have a more developmental flavour the language used to describe them has not. Another problem with using the assessment development dichotomy is that at the very least it causes us to infer that little or no assessment goes in development centres. While you will hear centres being called assessment or development centres remember that assessment goes on in both and so to some extent at least they are both assessment centres. The end result of this is that it is not possible to talk about assessment or development centres in any but the most general terms. It is more useful to talk about the constituent parts and general processes involved in each. In these terms we can identify a number of differences between assessment and development centres that one might typically find: Assessment centres usually * have a pass/fail criteria * are geared towards filing a job vacancy * address an immediate organisational need * have fewer assessors and more participants * involve line managers as assessors * have less emphasis placed on self-assessment * focus on what the candidate can do now * are geared to meet the needs of the organisation * assign the role of judge to assessors * place emphasis on selection with little or no developmental feedback and follow up * give feedback at a later date * involve the organisation having control over the information obtained * have very little pre-centre briefing * tend to be used with external candidates Development centres usually * do not have a pass/fail criteria * are geared towards developing the individual * address a longer term need * have a 1:1 ratio of assessor to participant * do not have line managers as assessors * have a greater emphasis placed on self-assessment * focus on potential * are geared to meet needs of the individual as well as the organisation * assign the role of facilitator to assessors * place emphasis on developmental feedback and follow up with little or no selection function * give feedback immediately * involve the individual having control over the information obtained * have a substantial pre-centre briefing * tend to be used with internal candidates Chapter 2 ASSESSMENT CENTERS INSIDE OUT 2.1 Stages in a typical Assessment Center A typical Assessment Center consists of the following stages. They are : Pre AC Stage During AC Stage Post AC Stage a. PRE AC STAGE * Defining the objective of AC . * Get approval for AC from the concerned officials. * Conduct job analysis. * Define the competencies required for the target position. * Identify the potential position holder and send them invitations. * Identify the observers. * Train the observers. * Design the AC exercises * Decide the rating methodology. * Make infrastructural arrangements. * Schedule the AC. * Informing the concerned people of the schedule. b. DURING AC STAGE * Explain participants the purpose of the AC, the procedure it would follow and its outcome. * Give instructions to the participants, before every exercise. * Distribute the competency-exercise matrix sheets among observers. * Conduct all exercises. * Conduct a discussion of all observers on every participants ratings, at the end of the session. * Make a report of the strengths and improvement areas of every participant. * Give feedback to participants. * Get feedback from participants and observers about the conduction of AC. c. POST AC STAGE * Compile reports of all participants and submit the list of selected participants to the concerned authorities. * Make improvements in the design according to the recommendations. * Evaluate the validity of results after a definite period. 2.2 Sequence of Steps of an Assessment Center Sequence of Steps of an Assessment Center ( Source ‘Assessment Center for Identifying potential project managers , a Paper for the 6th European Conference on Software Quality 1999 in Vienna ) 2.3 Factors for Evaluating Assessment Center Design Five Factors for evaluating the Center Design The COLAT Model (Source Research Paper ‘Assessment of Assessment Centers by Dr. P. Sethu Madhavan) Center Design The following factors related to the centre design can be used to evaluate and compare the Assessment Centers s in the backdrop of best practices and benchmarks. * Use of qualified resource persons, assessors and support staff * Content validity of the centre and the competency profiles * Use of triangulation and corroboration of assessment results Organizational Preparedness Organizational preparedness refers to following macro level factors, that need to be addressed adequately and established in order to make an assessment or development centre to work effectively. * Policies and procedures * Structure * Clarity of organisational objectives * Buy in, commitment and change management * Communication Linkages, integration and alignment It has been observed that organizations vary considerably in ensuring the linkages, integration and alignment of ACs with the other organisational level factors and the individual level factors. ACs, therefore can be evaluated based on the following best practice anchors falling under these dimensions. * Alignment with core values, vision, mission and strategy * Alignment and linkages with other key HR systems and processes * Alignment with external professional bodies ADCs should be â€Å"purposively† aligned with and derived from the strategy, vision, mission, values and culture of the organisation or the unit. The centre should be designed in such way as to ensure that it helps to meet the strategic objectives of the organisation Quality of Assessment tools and methods In many countries, professional associations and legal requirements dictate that ACs follow some standard practices in the selection, use and administration of assessment methods, especially the psychometric tests. India perhaps has been lagging behind in imposing national level professional standards and certifications to ensure competent and ethical use of psychometric tests. In the absence of any national level qualifications regarding the use of psychometric tests in India, many institutions have been doing a great service to fill this gap by offering, professional training and consultancy services. However, observations and experiences reveal that ACs still vary considerably on their eagerness to ensure quality of tools and methods. * Quality of administration * Reliability * Validity * Utility * Reactivity * Relevance * Test fairness(Statistical) * Technology and use of computers Treatment of Participants and Data Treatment of participants and data in assessment centers is very important from ethical point of view. Some variables and indicators related to this dimension are listed below. * Psychological fairness as perceived by the participants and stakeholders * Right to information, informed consent and informed decisions * Confidentiality and data protection * Feedback policy * Post assessment follow-up and support 2.4 Types of Assessment Exercises Some of the widely used Assessment Center Exercises are as follows : Assement Center Exercise An in-tray or in-basket exercise asks to assume a particular role as an employee of a fictitious company and work through the correspondence in your in-tray. This exercise is designed to measure candidates ability to organize and prioritize work. In a presentation exercise, candidate is given a topic or possibly a choice of topics and asked to make a presentation of around ten minutes with five minutes at the end for questions. This is designed to measure his presentation skills including the ability to organise and structure the information and to communicate his points clearly and concisely. Group discussion exercises involve working with other candidates as part of a team to resolve a presented issue. These exercises are designed to measure interpersonal skills such as group leadership, teamwork, negotiation, and group problem solving skills. Panel interviews are regarded as a more objective means of assessing the candidates suitability as he will be interviewed by between three and five people and therefore the decision is not reliant on just one persons opinion. In addition, they are usually more structured than a one-to-one interview as the panel need to assess all of the candidates against the same criteria. 2.5 How Assessment Center Exercises are Conducted ? The assessment centre method is utilized in a variety of settings including industry and business, government, armed forces, educational institutions, and safety forces to select individuals for supervisory, technical, sales, or management positions. One recent trend is in the development of mass testing. This is done by video-taping candidates as they perform various exercises and by using objectively scored exercises. This permits the assessment of a much larger number of candidates per day as the scoring is done later and requires far less observation and administration. Assesment Centre Procedure Assessment centres are usually used after the initial stages of the selection process, because of the large amount of time and expense in conducting them, and usually follow the initial job interview. Other measurements such as psychological tests may complement the selection process.: They are commonly held either on employers premises or in a hotel and are considered by many organizations to be the fairest and most accurate method of selecting staff. This is because a number of different selectors get to see you over a longer period of time and have the chance to see what you can do, rather than what you say you can do, in a variety of situations. Assessment Centres may be conducted by HR personnel within the employer company or by outside consultants. They are highly structured in their design, application, and assessment procedure and are specifically adapted to assess factors such as your level of skills, aptitude and compatibility with the organizations culture. Each test measures a range of indicators within these factors. During each test, a group of observers will rate the candidate on a range of set indicators, using a prescribed performance scale. Results are then cross compared against the same indicators, which are measured in other tests. Following test completion, observers meet to discuss the test results and reach a group consensus about the ratings. At the beginning of the assessment, participant should receive an initial briefing about the timetable of tests, location of rooms etc. Prior to each test, he will be given instructions describing the exercise, his role, timeframes, equipment etc. He will not be told in detail about the individual indicators which will be measured. In addition, he is unlikely to receive feedback on the results, unless he have been successfully selected. Assessment centers typically involve the participants completing a range of exercises which simulate the activities carried out in the target job. Various combinations of these exercises and sometimes other assessment methods like psychometric testing and interviews are used to assess particular competencies in individuals. The theory behind this is that if one wishes to predict future job performance then the best way of doing this is to get the individual to carry out a set of tasks which accurately sample those required in the job and are as similar to them as possible. The particular competencies used will depend upon the target job but one will often find competencies such as relating to people; resistance to stress; planning and organising; motivation; adaptability and flexibility; problem solving; leadership; communication; decision making and initiative. There are numerous possible competencies and the ones which are relevant to a particular job are determined through job ana lysis. The fact that a set of exercises is used demonstrates one crucial characteristic of an assessment centre namely that it is behaviour that is being observed and measured. This represents a significant departure from many traditional selection approaches which rely on the observer or selector attempting to infer personal characteristics from behaviour based upon subjective judgement and usually precious little evidence. This approach is rendered unfair and inaccurate by the subjective whims and biases of the selector and in many cases produces a selection decision based on a freewheeling social interaction after which a decision is made whether the individual is face fit with the organisation. 2.6 Essential Elements of an Assessment Center Assessment Centers must have the following criteria to be called so : 1. Job Analysis To understand job challenges and the competencies required for successful execution of the job. 2. Predefined competencies Modeling the competencies, which will be tested during the process. 3. Behavioral classification Behaviors displayed by participants must be classified into meaningful and relevant categories such as dimensions, attributes, characteristics, aptitudes, qualities, skills, abilities, competencies, and knowledge. 4. Assessment techniques These include a number of exercises to test the assessees of their potentials. Each competency is tested through atleast 2 exercises for gathering adequate evidence for the presence of particular competence. 5. Simulations The exercises should simulate the job responsibilities as closely as possible to eliminate potential errors in selection. 6. Observations Accurate and unbiased observation is the most critical aspect of an AC. 7. Observers Multiple observers are used to eliminate subjectivity and biases from the process. They are given thorough training in the process prior to participating in the AC. 8. Recording Behavior A systematic procedure of recording must be used by the assessors for future reference. The recording could be in the form of hand written note, behavioral checklist, audio-video recording etc. 9. Reports Each observer must make a detailed report of his observation before going for the discussion of integration of scores. 10. Data Integration The pooling of information from different assessors is done through statistical techniques. 2.7 Assessment Centers Usage Various Organizations use the data provided